WELLS – A granite quarry that was first mined more than 300 years ago but has been inactive since the 1970s may be on the verge of a comeback.

Richard Bois Jr., who grew up near the old Swenson quarry and spent many a summer day jumping off the high granite cliffs into the cool water below, bought the 100-acre property in 2000 and began selling granite about a year ago.

Bois, an engineer and construction worker by trade, is banking on a resurgent market in response to a growing demand for Maine granite for landscaping, kitchen countertops and other uses.

“It’s one of those things you don’t think you’ll end up doing,” Bois says of his new vocation as a quarry man and owner of Millennium Granite Quarry and Stoneworks.

At present, Bois and his staff work with the tons of stone that were cast off in earlier excavations. They cut, deliver and install the stones.

Bois said he hopes to begin excavating granite from the quarry again, but has plenty of stone to keep him occupied until then.

“There are piles like this all over,” he said, pointing to a pile of stones that are over 6 feet tall.

Granite taken from the quarry was used in a number of famous buildings and monuments around the country, a testament to its high quality. They include the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery and the famed Tiffany’s building on Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Maine’s granite is known for its unique pink hue that is finding favor in the landscaping market. Terrence Parker, owner of Terra Firma Landscape Architecture in Portsmouth, N.H., said granite has never really gone out of style as a landscape material.

“People use it for granite steps, wall capstones, edging for driveways and gardens, and paving,” he said. “[Maine granite] has more texture and range of color. The color is unusual and exceptional.”