Elmhurst-Chicago+Stone+Co

The Elmhurst stone quarry has always been an Elmhurst landmark. Since the late 19th century, it was a steady source of employment. The quarry was operated by a company called the Elmhurst-Chicago Stone Company and was started in 1883.

The quarry was started by Adolph Hammerschmidt and Henry Assman, who leased a small quarry from Ludwig Graue. The quarry cut stone and made clay brick and tile. Most of the stone cut was dolomite limestone. Luis also owned a farm in the area and the pair later bought eleven acres of it for $3,300. After this purchase more kilns were built to fire the clay products.

As stone was mined from the quarry, it was quickly shipped away on thousands of railroad cars.

Adolph took over the company and incorporated it as the Elmhurst-Chicago Stone Company. Many of Adolph Hammerschmidt’s family members and future generations began to work at the quarry too.

Over the years the stone company has grown and become more complex. 1920 marked the initial manufacture of cement blocks. Adolph’s family began competing in the redi-mix concrete business in 1940.

Today the quarry is located at 400 W 1st Street, here in Elmhurst. Today the quarry produces crushed and broken limestone, construction sand and gravel, cement blocks, asphalt paving mixture, ready mix concrete and concrete pipes. The president and chief executive officer of the quarry is Charles Hammersmith Jr. The company has about 150 employees but only about 30 of them actually work at the quarry. The quarry’s average annual sales amount to about $11, 700, 000.

The Elmhurst-Chicago Stone Co. has become part of many families and part of Elmhurst itself. The quarry has literally made itself part of Elmhurst; many of Elmhurst’s buildings have been constructed using stone mined from it. The quarry is one of Elmhurst’s oldest businesses and is a monument representing the hard work of many of the founders of Elmhurst.