Mining in New Hampshire: Granite, Feldspar, Mica, and More

Yes, New Hampshire has a modest but historically significant mining industry. Key products:

1. Dimension Stone – Granite (The "Granite State")

Abundant, high-quality granite in varied colors—most famously "New Hampshire Pink" (Conway red/pink). Quarries in Concord, Fitzwilliam, Milford, and elsewhere supply building stone, monuments, curbing, and countertops.

2. Sand and Gravel

Extensive glacial deposits. Used in road construction, concrete, landscaping. Major contributor by volume and value.

3. Feldspar

Mined in the Keene/Alstead area. Essential flux for ceramics, glass, and enamelware. NH was once a leading U.S. producer.

4. Mica (Muscovite)

Sheet mica from pegmatites in Grafton County. Used in electrical insulation, paints, plastics, cosmetics. Historic mines (Ruggles, Palermo) now mostly closed/fee-collect.

5. Peat

Harvested from northern wetlands (e.g., Errol, Columbia). Soil amendment, horticulture, some fuel use. Environmentally sensitive; regulated.

Other / Historic

• Beryl, tourmaline, quartz – gem/mineral specimens (pegmatites).
• Gold – trace placer deposits; never commercial.
• Copper, lead, zinc – small historic mines (e.g., Madison, Warren).

Mining is no longer a major employer, but these resources shaped NH's 19th-century economy and continue in niche markets.