Stony Creek Granite and The Statue of Liberty

On Tuesday, September 30th, SSILL welcomed Bruce Clouette, Ph.D., a prominent Connecticut historian to talk about how the Statue of Liberty was created. Dr. Clouette went through the history of the construction in France, including talking about the key players who made it happen on both sides of the Atlantic.

Dr. Clouette talked about the relationship between the United States and France, and the statue’s symbolism of liberty for the many immigrants who came to the United States to find freedom.  What was of great interest for the membership is the fact that the base of the statue was built using Stony Creek granite. Anyone living on the Shoreline in Connecticut is familiar with this particular granite. It was chosen from many other samples that were under consideration because of its unique color and beauty. The granite is multi-colored and the pink or rose color is what makes it stand out in comparison to other granite. The granite has been quarried in Connecticut for over 160 years.

The granite is also known for being used for the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, The Smithsonian, and Columbia University. SSILL members enjoyed the presentation about the history of the statue and the fact that “something close to home” was a key part of the project. One attendee stated, “This filled in the gaps in the Statue’s background…Bravo! Interesting.”