JOHN TATKO III APPRECIATES OLD THINGS: the 150-year-old slate sinks customers bring in for restoration, the historic quarry where he works. “Our company started here in 1906,” says John, who runs operations at Sheldon Slate in Monson, Maine.
Back then it was known as Portland–Monson Slate. Over the years, the company bought up other slate quarries in Poultney, Vermont; Hampton, New York; and Middle Granville, New York. All are clustered around the Vermont/New York border. The Tatko family bought the whole kit-and-kaboodle in 1965. Three other family members are also active in the business: John’s father, John Tatko Jr., his mother, Beverly, and brother Peter, who runs the Middle Granville facility.
As a historic slate fabricator, Sheldon quarries the region’s rich array of slate colors—grey, grey-blue, green, purple, black, red,…
