Francisco Brothers Quarry (Francisco Quarry), Great Notch, Little Falls Township, Passaic Co., New Jersey, USA

• Display
  • Standard
  • Detailed
  • By Strunz Category
  • By Dana Category
• Photos
  • Mineral Photos (3)
  • - Full View (3)
  • Site Photos (1)
  • - Modern Site Photo (1)
  • Add Photo
• Maps
  • Map Pages
  • Nearest Localities
• Search
  • Mineral Search
  • Search Google

The Francisco Brothers Quarry was a small pit in the Orange Mountain (First Watchung) basalt, which was operated by J. H. and S.G. Francisco, between 1905 and 1922. It was the southern most good exposure of the pillow lavas in the lower part of the second flow unit of the OMB. This horizon is known to extend from the reservoir in Cedar Grove, NJ, just south of the Francisco Brothers quarry and where there were some small exposures during its construction around 1902, to the Prospect Park Quarry. It is important not just for the mineral specimens that it produced but because it was a prime field location for the geologists of a century ago, who were studying the basalts.

During the period of the 1890’s and up to 1905 the Francisco brothers operated 2 quarries described as being adjacent to each other. These operations were discontinued by 1905 and the quarry that is mineralogically well known was begun. However, Fenner (1908) indicates that at least one of the older Francisco Brothers pits was also in pillow lava.

Most descriptions of the location of this quarry are vague saying only that it was “near the railroad station at Great notch”. As nearly as this author can determine the 1905 – 1922 operation was about 900 feet southwest of the station. It is now represented by a small pond in a small patch of woods, an isolated island in a sea of suburban sprawl. On some air photos, taken at the right season, the right angle and at the right time of day, one can discern what appears to be old quarry faces in the woods on the southeast side of the pond. This is almost certainly the place. The location of the earlier pit(s) discussed by Fenner (1908) is still unknown. They were probably very small and shallow and seem to have been completely erased by tract housing.

Mineral List

Albite Analcime 'Apophyllite' Aragonite Azurite Babingtonite Baryte Bornite Calcite 'Chabazite' Chalcocite Chalcopyrite 'Chlorite Group'

Chrysocolla Cuprite Datolite Epidote 'Gmelinite' Goethite Greenockite Gypsum var: Selenite Hematite 'Heulandite' Laumontite 'Limonite'

Malachite Natrolite Opal Pectolite Prehnite 'Pumpellyite' Pyrite Pyrolusite Quartz var: Agate var: Amethyst var: Chalcedony var: Jasper

Quartz var: Milky Quartz var: Rock Crystal var: Smoky Quartz Scolecite Sphalerite 'Stevensite' 'Stilbite' Stilpnomelane Thaumasite Thomsonite-Ca

49 entries listed. 32 valid minerals.

References