Swenson Granite Company
Founded in 1883, the Swenson Granite Company is one of the enduring industrial stories of Concord. This company helped shape not only the local landscape, but the very monuments and memorials that defined so many towns across New England.
The company’s roots are tied to the rich granite deposits of Rattlesnake Hill, just outside Concord. From these quarries came the fine-grained Concord granite, prized for its strength, durability and subtle beauty. This stone became a defining material for: Public buildings, bridges, cemetery monuments and war memorials.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Swenson Granite was part of a booming industry. Skilled stonecutters, many of them immigrants, transformed raw granite into finished works that would last for generations. The craftsmanship required was immense and the work itself physically demanding.
This granite can be seen not only cemeteries and monuments, as well as important civic architecture. Locally, the New Hampshire State House stands as one of the most recognizable examples of Concord granite.
There is a connection between Swenson Granite and the Old North Cemetery. Many of the headstones and monuments, including that of President Pierce, are part of the same tradition of New England stonework.
Over time, as large-scale quarrying declined, the company evolved, continuing to produce stone for landscapes, architecture and memorials. The Swenson Granite Company represents local industry, skilled trade and material drawn from the Concord land itself.
Read More From Nancy
Pleasant View and Mary Baker Eddy
After her earlier years in Concord, Mary Baker Eddy’s story moves here: Pleasant View. This is where everything changes In 1889, she moved to this property, and it became more than a residence. This was the center of her work during the most influential period of her life. From here, she led and organized the Church […]
The Eagle Hotel
Growing up in Concord, the Eagle Hotel was simply part of the downtown landscape. By the time I was old enough to notice it, however, its days as a grand hotel were already over. The Eagle Hotel closed its doors in 1961, when I was just a child, so I never had the opportunity to […]
Liberty Bell
On the lawn of the New Hampshire State House stands a bell that carries a very specific and nationally connected meaning. This is a replica of the Liberty Bell. In 1950, to mark the 175th anniversary of American Independence, the U.S. Treasury partnered with the American Legion to commission and distribute exact replicas of the Liberty Bell […]
