The Greenfield Granite and Marble Company was originally an offshoot of the Shelburne Falls Marble Company, both located in Western Massachusetts. Edward D. Temple, the manager of the Greenfield company, was related to the Temple Brothers, David and John, who purchased the Shelburne firm in 1888. Edward came to Greenfield in 1893, and ran the company until his death in 1928. Then L. L. Negus and a Mr. Taylor purchased the company. Their successors still run the firm in Greenfield as Negus & Taylor. Their gravestones were made of granite and marble. Almost all American granite initially came from the quarries at Barre, Vermont, established in 1820, and making it the first American granite quarry. Granite was expensive and was not widely used until after the Civil War. Technological improvements like the steam drill, introduced in 1868, and a new rail link into the quarrying area dramatically lowered its cost. By 1910, granite was preferred over the more expensive marble.
Greenfield Granite and Marble Co. Greenfield Gazette and Courier, June 28, 1900. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l02-161/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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