Established in 1811, Amherst has been actively engaged in the quarrying of high-quality sandstone since before the American Civil War. The products of the town's quarries have graced buildings and other structures in the United States and around the world. The promise of work at the quarries drew potential employees from the surrounding countryside, as well as from across the ocean, giving the community's population its diverse character. This photographic history presents the unique and fascinating story of Amherst, the self-described "Sandstone Center of the World."
The Amherst Historical Society, established in 1973, holds in its collections an extensive photographic and documentary history of the community. Since 2005, the organization has collaborated with history faculty at Youngstown State University on the development of its wide-ranging Cleveland Quarries Collection. Donna M. DeBlasio, an associate professor of history and director of the Center for Applied History at Youngstown State University, and Martha I. Pallante, full professor of history at Youngstown State University and chair of the Department of History, are committed to the preservation and interpretation of Ohio's industrial communities. Both have recently published works focusing on the region and its heritage.