Granite quarries (Barre Rock of Ages) are deep stepped pits cut into Barre Grey granite

shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileVermont

in the hills above Barre, central Vermont

Granite quarries (Barre Rock of Ages) are deep stepped pits cut into Barre Grey granite

— — a stepped grey amphitheatre cut down into the stone.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand

— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines

— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall

— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround

— a note from the studio

“The E.L. Smith Quarry above Barre is the largest deep-hole dimension granite quarry in the world. The pit drops roughly 600 feet in stepped grey benches cut into Barre Grey granite, the same stone that built monuments and memorials across the country. The working face has been moving downward, slowly, since the 1880s. Visitors watch from a viewing platform that holds steady while the floor keeps going.

from the studio

— bring it home

Granite quarries (Barre Rock of Ages) are deep stepped pits cut into Barre Grey granite, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Granite quarries (Barre Rock of Ages) are deep stepped pits cut into Barre Grey granite

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

The Rock of Ages quarry sits in Graniteville, just above the city of Barre in central Vermont, about ten miles southeast of Montpelier. The pit referred to most often is the E.L. Smith Quarry, which descends roughly 600 feet below the original grade and is considered the largest deep-hole dimension granite quarry operating in the world. The Barre granite district has been worked since the 1880s, when rail access let the stone reach markets beyond Vermont. Rock of Ages Corporation has run the operation in its modern form since 1885 and consolidated the surrounding quarries over the twentieth century.

— informed by Rock of Ages Corporation, Vermont Historical Society — Barre Granite

— the stone

Barre Grey is a medium-grained, light-to-medium grey granite famous for taking polish well and weathering slowly. The deposit was emplaced as part of the Devonian-age Knox Mountain pluton, intruded into the surrounding metamorphic rock roughly 380 million years ago. The stone carries quartz, feldspar and a small percentage of mica in proportions that hold detail under the carver's chisel. It is the standard American monumental granite; a large share of headstones, war memorials and civic statues across the United States, including many at Arlington National Cemetery, were cut from the Barre quarries.

— informed by U.S. Geological Survey — Vermont granite, Rock of Ages — About Barre Granite

— the visit

The Rock of Ages visitor centre and quarry tour operate seasonally, roughly mid-May through mid-October. Shuttle tours run from the visitor centre up to the E.L. Smith viewing platform, where the stepped pit and the working derricks are visible from a guarded deck. Hope Cemetery, a short drive away in Barre, holds several thousand monuments carved by local stonecutters, many of them in Barre Grey and many of them remarkable as sculpture. The site is closed Sundays and on most major holidays. Hard-hat and behind-the-scenes tours run by reservation.

— informed by Rock of Ages — Visit

— where

United States · Graniteville, Barre Town, Washington County, Vermont

— position

44.1550° N · 72.4850° W

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

4 km N

Hope Cemetery

monumental cemetery

3 km N

Barre

city

13 km NW

Montpelier

state capital

30 km E

Groton State Forest

state forest

10 km W

Camp Meade

roadside landmark

Granite quarries (Barre Rock of Ages) are deep stepped pits cut into Barre Grey granite

Hope Cemetery

Barre

Montpelier

Groton State Forest

Camp Meade

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Granite quarries (Barre Rock of Ages) are deep stepped pits cut into Barre Grey granite — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

The E.L. Smith Quarry descends roughly 600 feet below the original grade. It is considered the largest deep-hole dimension granite quarry operating in the world, with the working floor cut in stepped grey benches.

Barre Grey is a medium-grained light-to-medium grey granite from the Knox Mountain pluton, emplaced roughly 380 million years ago. It takes polish well, holds carving detail, and weathers slowly, which made it the standard American monumental granite.

Since the 1880s, when rail access let the stone reach markets beyond Vermont. Rock of Ages Corporation, in its modern form, has run the operation since 1885 and consolidated the surrounding quarries through the twentieth century.

Yes, seasonally. The visitor centre runs shuttle tours from roughly mid-May through mid-October to the E.L. Smith viewing platform. The site is closed Sundays and most major holidays; hard-hat tours run by reservation.

A large share of American headstones, war memorials and civic statues, including monuments at Arlington National Cemetery. The carvers of Barre also created the dense sculptural inventory at Hope Cemetery a few miles north of the quarry.

In Graniteville, within Barre Town, Washington County, central Vermont, about ten miles southeast of Montpelier and three miles south of the city of Barre. It sits in the granite hills above the Stevens Branch valley.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The Barre granite trade shaped generations of local families, especially among the descendants of Italian and Scottish stonecutters. A Small or Medium with a handwritten studio note carries that history thoughtfully.

It sits well in Industrial-modern, Warm Traditional with stone accents, and Mountain-modern rooms. The cool greys and stepped geometry pair with concrete, blackened steel, walnut, and natural wool.

Industrial and material-led art has held steady in interiors leaning into Industrial-modern and biophilic-with-stone design. It reads as substance and craft rather than as a passing aesthetic.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large works as a focal piece. Above a console or mantel, a Medium reads cleanly. For a wider feature wall, a 4-tile or 9-tile Mural carries the geometry better.

Yes, in Dura Satin or Matte. Both are scratch-resistant and hold up to moisture, which makes them well-suited to a powder room, a kitchen wall, or a backsplash with stone counters.

A soft microfibre cloth with water. For kitchen installations, a mild dish soap. No abrasives, no ammonia. The colour lives in the ceramic surface beneath the finish, so the face will not wear with cleaning.

Yes. Reid Wender is the curator. The artwork is original to the studio and not licensed from any third party or from Rock of Ages Corporation.

— if this one stayed with you