Author Garrett Peck (right) fails to be killed by giant rock at Seneca Quarry
Face it. You love rocks, don’t you? Who doesn’t?
You see magnificent buildings like the Smithsonian Castle, and say, “Man, it’s a great building, but I just wish I knew where the stone came from…”
Well, fear not! Your worries are over, as author Garrett Peck will be answering these questions and more this Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Hill Center when he talks about his new book The Smithsonian Castle and the Seneca Quarry.
Even if you’re just a regular history buff, and not some stone fetishist, the book covers broad swaths of our local history with consummate research.
The stories of the original stonecutters provide a fascinating look at the largely African-American and immigrant labors on the site, if perhaps failing to answer the perennial question of “Who rigs every Oscar night?” The quarry gained a brief bit of notoriety in a scandal that while not exactly crippling President Grant, managed to get a glancing shot in; a scandal that is painstakingly explored in its own chapter. And, the book includes a catalog of known Seneca redstone buildings in the area, including at least a few on the Hill.
The event is free, but you are encouraged to register in advance.
Come hang with the stone fetishist! Hey, that’s me!