Historic crane in Hallowell park deemed public safety hazard, will be removed

CENTRAL MAINE • June 4, 2026

Contractors will soon remove the 19th century wooden crane on display at Granite City Park after an inspection Tuesday found the structure “poses an imminent risk to public safety.” The 37-foot-tall wooden crane — one of the last remaining from the area’s mid-1800s granite mining heyday — was found at an abandoned Augusta quarry in 1985 and was displayed at a bank before being donated to Hallowell in 2003. The 36-foot-long boom swings in a full circle, and is similar to ones used to load granite blocks onto boats in the Kennebec River. After a decade behind the public works building, the crane was moved to Granite City Park. Hallowell became well known across the country for its white granite beginning in the 1820s. At least nine companies operated quarries in Hallowell during the mining peak.