Portland’s famous quarries once became permanent lakes overnight – here’s what sank them

The 1936 Flood That Drowned Portland’s Quarries

Portland’s brownstone built America’s great cities for 246 years until March 1936, when rain fell for two weeks straight.

The Connecticut River rose to a record 37.6 feet, filling quarries that had shaped skylines from Boston to New York.

The flood cut off Portland completely, with no power and no way out. Water filled the quarries forever, and the 1938 hurricane crushed any hope of recovery.

The industry died that spring day, but the 80-foot quarry walls still stand with dates carved back to 1887, telling a story of both glory and disaster.

Brutal Winter Set the Stage for Disaster

The winter of 1935-36 hit New England hard. February 1936 broke records as the coldest ever in the mainland U.S.

Snow built up throughout the region, with Northern New England collecting 7.5 inches of water in snowpack and Southern New England holding 3. 5 inches.

Concrete had become the popular building material, and brownstone sales dropped from $575,000 in 1890 to just $55,949 by 1908.

Rain Poured Down for Two Straight Weeks

On March 11, 1936, rain started falling across New England. A warm front got stuck over the region, bringing constant rain.

The first storm focused on the White Mountains, dumping water onto frozen ground and packed snow. Weather experts warned about possible flooding.

For the next 14 days, rain kept coming, totaling over 22 inches in some areas. The mix of warm temperatures, melting snow, and non-stop rainfall created dangerous conditions.

Waters Swelled Beyond Their Banks

Flooding spread across the Northeast by March 12, from Maine to Pennsylvania. As snow melted quickly under the warm rain, rivers couldn’t handle the extra water.

Ice chunks broke free and formed jams that blocked waterways. By March 13, twenty people had died in the rising waters.

The Connecticut River began cutting new paths around massive ice blockages. Towns along the riverbanks watched nervously as water levels rose hour by hour.

Chunks of Ice Became Deadly Weapons

Huge ice jams burst through dams with great force.

At Holyoke Dam, ice tore away a section of granite 1,000 feet wide and 5 feet high. The Connecticut River carved a new path around the ice blockage.

Car-sized blocks of ice crashed downstream, smashing into bridges, buildings, and anything in their way. Maine lost 81 highway bridges as ice hammered structures along the Kennebec and Androscoggin Rivers.

The damage looked like something from a war zone.

Second Storm Pushed Floodwaters to Record Heights

Around March 17-18, a second, stronger storm hit New England. Pinkham Notch got over 10 inches of extra rain on March 18-19 alone.

This new downpour fell on ground that couldn’t soak up any more water. The Connecticut River reached heights never seen before or since.

Almost all of New England’s remaining snow melted at once, sending even more water into already full rivers.

Portland Became Cut Off From the World

Middletown lost power as floodwaters rose, stopping normal life. Officials closed the bridge connecting Middletown to Portland as water threatened to damage it.

Portland found itself completely cut off from the mainland. In Hartford, the Connecticut River peaked at 37.6 feet, a record that still stands today.

National Guard troops moved through the Connecticut River Valley in boats, saving stranded people from second-story windows and rooftops.

For days, many towns could only be reached by boat.

Floodwaters Swallowed the Historic Quarries

Water from the swollen Connecticut River flowed into Portland’s brownstone quarries, filling them completely.

These quarries had run for nearly 250 years, providing the reddish-brown stone that decorated buildings from Boston to San Francisco.

Workers tried to pump the quarries dry, but the job cost too much. Small-scale quarrying continued for a year, but only in areas above the waterline.

Hurricane of 1938 Crushed Any Hope of Recovery

Just when Portland thought things couldn’t get worse, the Great New England Hurricane hit the region in September 1938.

The storm brought more flooding and strong winds that tore through the area. Waters rose again, covering quarry equipment and buildings that had survived the 1936 flood.

The hurricane also wrecked Portland’s shipbuilding facilities.

Two Industries Collapsed in a Matter of Months

Portland lost its economic foundation when both brownstone quarrying and shipbuilding closed down. These two industries had supported the town for generations.

Workers who crewed the 25 ships that once moved brownstone found themselves without jobs. The quarries and shipping operations that had once employed over 1,500 people stood empty and abandoned.

Families that had worked in these trades for generations suddenly needed to find new jobs or move away.

Roosevelt Signed a Landmark Flood Control Act

President Franklin D. Roosevelt responded to the disaster by signing the Flood Control Act of 1936 on June 22.

The law put $310 million toward flood control projects across the country. The Army Corps of Engineers got to build hundreds of miles of levees and dams.

New England received major federal money for flood protection infrastructure.

This law marked one of the first big federal commitments to protecting communities from flooding, changing how America handled natural disasters.

Brownstone’s 246-Year Legacy Lives On as a Water Park

Portland’s brownstone quarrying, which started in the 1690s, came to a definitive end after the flood.

The quarries remained filled with water for almost 50 years. A small operation briefly reopened in 1994 but closed by 2012.

The historic site earned National Historic Landmark status in 2000, recognizing its importance in American architectural history.

Today, the flooded quarries serve as a recreational water park where visitors swim and dive in the same spots where workers once cut stone that built America’s cities.

Visiting Portland Brownstone Quarries, Connecticut

The Portland Brownstone Quarries at 161 Brownstone Ave are open May through September and offer swimming in the flooded quarries that ended the brownstone industry in 1936.

You need to buy day passes online ahead of time for your specific date – no refunds allowed. Choose from General Swimming, Adventure Sports, or Wakeboard Sports passes.

Life jackets are required for everyone. You can bring food and coolers but no grills, alcohol, or glass containers.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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