A former Halcottsville quarryman will explain the tools and techniques of traditional stone cutters at a field history program, “No Stone Left Unturned,” Saturday, Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. at a Margaretville area quarry.
Registration is required as space is limited. Call 845-586-2400 to reserve your spot. The exact location and other information will be provided to registrants. A $10 fee will be collected at the site the day of the program. Rain date is Oct. 18. A representative from the Catskill Forest Association will also be present to discuss forest cover and trees typically found at quarry sites.
John Biruk, a 1961 graduate of Roxbury Central School, will lead a short walk to the quarry said to have provided the material for Margaretville’s curbs and sidewalks more than a century ago. Biruk grew up on a Bragg Hollow farm.
Biruk will bring some tools of the trade, show how to spot a productive bluestone ledge, and explain how the layers are separated and extracted. He’ll also tell how stone is transported from remote hillside quarries and how it is bought and sold.
For information on this and other HSM programs and activities, visit mtownhistory.org
