The Berkshire Pink Granite Company, started by John, Alexander, and William Mitchell, who had come from Aberdeen, Scotland. As a family enterprise, the Mitchell family first quarried light grey paving blocks behind the Mitchell house in Becket. But the day of paved streets and highways passed, and a deposit of beautiful pink granite on the property was opened up. The products of this pink stone are more varied, including hearthstones, mantels, fireplace facings, building stones and memorials. Early quarrying was done with hand derricks and hand drills sharpened at a forge in a small shop by John, progessing to an air driven drill and hoist used by John’s son, Frank, to carbide tools, a circular stone saw, and a polishing mill built by Frank’s son, Leslie. The rich history of quarrying goes deep in the Hilltown people’s families since granite was first discovered in Becket by following the granite vein from the pioneer valley to a farmers field in Becket in 1890.

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