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Vermont Granite from Quarry to Buildings and Cemeteries

Photos of architectural and monument granodiorite

The E. L Smith Quarry in Graniteville, South Barre, Vermont, USA, has been the source of Barre gray granite since opening in 1883. The quarry was started as a partnership between brothers John E. Smith and Emery L. Smith. Another brother, Donald Smith, joined them in 1887, forming E. L Smith and Company. John and Donald eventually bought out their brother, but kept the name. Currently owned by Rock of Ages, E. L. Smith is the largest open granite quarry in the world. Stone workers cut 50-foot squares 10 feet deep from the intrusive igneous rock formation. They create granite benches by drilling vertical holes four inches apart around the 200-foot perimeter. They also bore under the benches using five-foot sections of extensible drilling rods. To free up the benches for removal, stone workers set explosive charges to beach the spaces between the holes. They next cut each bench into 40-ton blocks to enable removal of the dense rock from the quarry. Granite taken from the quarry weighs 170 pounds for each cubic foot. Quarry and factory tours are available from late Spring through late summer. See the Rock of Ages website for details: http://www.rockofages.com/.

Rock of Ages Factory. Inside the Rock of Ages factory at Barre, Vermont, USA. The Rock of Ages factory produces architectural stone, grave monuments and mausoleums from granite taken from quarries in the United States, Canada and other countries. The stone work business was founded in 1885. Quarry tours and factory tours are available from late Spring through late summer. See the Rock of Ages website for details.
 		Rock of Ages Garden. The monument garden at the Rock of Ages factory in Barre, Vermont, USA shows off some of the work created at the factory. In the center of the garden stands a granite statue representing Jesus of Nazareth, believed by Christians to be the son of God, the savior the humanity and the hope for peaceful, abundant living.
 		Rock of Ages Factory. The Rock of Ages factory as seen from the monument garden in Barre, Vermont, produces architectural stone, grave monuments and mausoleums from granite removed from quarries in the United States, Canada and other countries. Factory tours are available from late Spring through early fall. Contact Rock of Ages for details.
 		E. L. Smith Quarry. The overlook to the E. L. Smith Quarry gives visitors a view into the 600 foot deep granite quarry. This quarry made an appearance in a Star Trek movie as a canyon ready to consume a Corvette driven by young James Tiberius Kirk.
Top of E. L. Smith Quarry. A derrick on the top of E. L. Smith Quarry at Graniteville, South Barre, Vermont, is for lifting blocks of granite and transporting stone workers in and out of the quarry. Blocks weigh 40 tons eachs. The stone workers cut the blocks from granite benches 50 feet square and 10 feet deep. Granite weighs 170 lbs for each cubic foot.
 		Derricks for lifting granite blocks. At the time of this photo, the E. L. Smith Quarry in Graniteville, South Barre, Vermont, USA, had two derricks for removing granite and transporting stone workers. The stone workers cut the granite into benches 50 feet square and 10 feet deep. They make the cuts by drilling holes four inches apart along the perimeter and then drilling under the block with extendable drills. Finally, they divide the bench into smaller 40-ton blocks for transporting. Granite weighs 170 pounds for each cubic foot. On the wall at the left of the photo are ladders providing an exit for the workers should power to the derricks fail.
 		E. L Smith Quarry Lakes. Lakes marks the original and current granite cutting work sites at the E. L. Smith Quarry in Barre, Vermont, USA. The farther lake shows the location of the origin quarry. It is more than 350 feet deep and filled with water from rain fall and melting snow. The closer lake is in part of the site longer quarried. The E. L Smith Quarry in Graniteville, South Barre, Vermont, USA, has been the source of Barre gray granite since opening in 1883. Removing a 50-foot square, 10 feet deep takes four to six weeks of drilling and cutting.
 		Emergency exit ladders. Emergency exit ladders on the granite walls allow stone workers to climb out of the quarry should power fail on the derricks. These ladders are currently not completely connected because cutting is at the top of quarry. The quarry is located in Barre, Vermont.
Architectural granite at Vermont State House. The building materials of the Vermont State House in Montpelier, Vermont include Barre gray granite from the quarries in Barre, Vermont.
 		Elia Corti at the Hope Cemetery. The grave of Elia Corti in the Hope Cemetery located in Barre, Vermont. The cemetery requires all monuments be made of Barre gray granite. The marker for Elia Corti was craft from a single block of granite.
 		Forgetfulness warning at the Hope Cemetery. The graves of Daniel Morrell Vrooman and Jane Elinor Vrooman in the Hope Cemetery located in Barre, Vermont, caution readers about the risks of ignoring the spiritual and soulish natures of humanity. The markers are made of Barre gray granite, a requirement for all graves in the nationally know burial site. These markers are engraved on all sides with messages from the Vroomans and passages from the Bible.
 		Soccer monument at the Hope Cemetery. The Davis grave in the Hope Cemetery located in Barre, Vermont. This grave contains the body of a young man believed to be a soccer enthusiast. The monument includes the names of his parents. The material of the marker is Barre gray granite, as are most of the monument at the Hope Cemetery.
Salesman's grave at the Hope Cemetery. The graves of T. Paul Martel and Janet M. Martel in the Hope Cemetery located in Barre, Vermont. The cube marker has engravings on all surfaces. Is is made of Barre gray granite, a requirement for all markers at the cemetery.
 		Biplane Above the Clouds at the Hope Cemetery. The grave of a pilot named LaCourse is located in the Hope Cemetery in Barre, Vermont. The bi-plane has broken through the clouds. The American flag rests in a stand available only for veterans of the US military. The bi-plane and clouds are cut from Barre gray granite, likely taken from the E. L. Smith Quarry in Graniteville, South Barre, Vermont. The world-famous Hope Cemetery requires monuments to be made of Barre gray granite. Each year, the unique and individualized markers attract thousands of people to the cemetery.
 		Young Racing Enthusiast at the Hope Cemetery. Young Racing Enthusiast. The grave of Armand J. Laquerre in the Hope Cemetery located in Barre, Vermont shows the young man was an enthusiast of fast cars.. He died at 28 years of age. His marker is made of Barre gray granite, as are most of the monuments in the Hope Cemetery.
 		Granodiorite from the E. L. Smith Quarry. Cut rocks from Vermont's E. L. Smith Quarry in Graniteville, South Barre, is technically granodiorite. The piece of unpolished granodiorite in the photo shows the smooth cuts made by drilling the rock to remove it from the quarry. Because of slight differences in its mineral composition, granodiorite is darker in color than pure granite. As intrusive igneous rocks, granodiorite and granite develop when flows of subterranean lava slowly cool. Lava flowing below the surface of the earth eventually hardens into weather-resistant intrusive igneous rocks. The rapid cooling of lava from erupting volcanoes forms softer, more brittle extrusive igneous rocks. Intrusive igneous rocks can become exposed when the earth surround them erodes. An example of this is the 1,267-foot Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming.

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