Quarry Worker

The Margerum and McCarthy Quarries were located in the vibrant Jugtown district of Princeton. These quarries “were operated as a source of building stone and, in winter, ice, until at least 1906.” Consisting mostly of a sedimentary rock called Lockatong argillite, known as “Princeton Stone,” materials from Margerum’s Quarry were used in the construction of multiple buildings on Princeton University’s campus, including Joline dormitory and Foulke, Henry and Pyne Halls. It is also said that, when being built in 1756, Nassau Hall was built of sandstone from a nearby quarry. 

After the quarries were closed and filled with groundwater, local residents would swim in the summer and ice skate in the winter. The area later became Quarry Park, a recreation area with a playground and dog park.

Books

1. Jugtown/Queenston: Jugtown Historic District Princeton’s 18th Century Crossroads Village by Clifford Zink (Princeton Public Library)
2. Old Princeton’s Neighbors by Federal Writers’ Project (Princeton Public Library)

Articles

1. “Historical Industries Laid the Groundwork for Today’s Recreational Enjoyment” by Eve Mandel (Princeton Perspectives)
2. Queenston: The Bygone Hamlet with a Colorful Past and Charming Presence by Wendy Greenberg (Princeton Magazine, 13 July 2022)
3. “Stephen Margerum, Retiring Postmaster, Recalls a Lifetime’s Memories of Princeton” (Princeton Herald, Volume 26, Number 70, 9 July 1949)
4. “Student Researches Jugtown Quarries” by David Laschever (Princeton Recollector, Volume 1, Number 1, 1 May 1975)
5. “Jugtown Boasts A Proud Tradition” (Princeton Recollector, Volume 1, Number 8, 1 February 1976)

Websites

1. Building a Community: Italian Americans of Princeton September 12, 1993 – June 12, 1994 (The Historical Society of Princeton)
2. “Margerum’s Quarry” record search (The Historical Society of Princeton)
3. Jugtown Historic District (National Register of Historic Places)