[2] The granite is coarsely but evenly grained, with unusually large feldspar crystals that give the stone a glittering, pinkish-grey finish when polished.

The deposit is also unusually uniform in its color and texture, with widely spaced joints that allowed for the cutting of massive blocks.

The operation's early buildings were all demolished as the pit was enlarged, and a few cutting sheds that survived longer were lost to a fire.

[2] John Clark was a Scottish immigrant who worked as a stonecutter in his home country, then in Youngstown, Ohio; Detroit; and Stratford, Ontario, before settling in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

McCormick had connections with Archbishop John Ireland and secured a major contract to provide 250,000 cubic feet (7,100 m3) of granite for the Cathedral of Saint Paul then under construction in the capital.

[4] McCormick, who only planned to be involved for the duration of the cathedral contract, left the partnership in 1916, after which the business became the John Clark Company.

[2] Stonecutters brought in from Scotland and Scandinavia were so numerous that they regularly co-opted Rockville's Main Street for soccer games after work.