Wender·Vista
Rock of Ages Granite Quarry Barre
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileVermont
in Graniteville, just south of Barre

Rock of Ages Granite Quarry Barre

— — a hole in the earth, six hundred feet of cut 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
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— 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 runs about 600 feet deep into the Barre granite, the largest deep-hole dimension granite quarry in the world. From the visitor observation deck the cut walls drop in clean grey steps. Derricks at the rim swing slabs the size of train cars. The stone holds light differently than rock.

from the studio
Rock of Ages Granite Quarry Barre
— bring it home

Rock of Ages Granite Quarry Barre, 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 Rock of Ages Granite Quarry Barre

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, a village in Barre Town, Washington County, Vermont, about 5 miles south of the city of Barre. The active pit is the E.L. Smith Quarry, opened in 1880 and now around 600 feet deep, cutting into the Barre Granite, a 380-million-year-old pluton of fine-grained light grey stone. Rock of Ages Corporation has operated the site since 1885 and supplies dimension granite for memorials and architecture across North America.

— the stone

Barre Granite is a biotite-muscovite granite known for tight, even grain and a colour that ages slowly and predictably; this is why it carved much of the country's monuments, including state capitols and a large share of US military headstones. Slabs are removed from the pit in blocks roughly 25 feet on a side by wire-saw and channel-burner crews, then trucked to the Craftsman Center in Graniteville for cutting and finishing. The pluton extends well beyond the current pit.

— the visit

The Rock of Ages Visitor Center on Graniteville Road runs seasonally, typically May through October. A self-guided observation deck overlooks the active E.L. Smith Quarry; narrated shuttle tours into the pit run for an additional fee during the summer. The on-site Craftsman Center is open for self-guided walks among the cutters and sandblast carvers. Admission to the observation deck is free; the quarry shuttle and factory experiences are ticketed.

— informed by Rock of Ages — visit
— where
United States · Barre Town, Washington County, Vermont
— position
44.1503° N · 72.4828° 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.
8 km N
Barre
city
7 km N
Hope Cemetery
cemetery
17 km NW
Montpelier
capital
N
Rock of Ages Granite Quarry Barre
Barre
Hope Cemetery
Montpelier
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Rock of Ages Granite Quarry Barre — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

The active E.L. Smith Quarry is about 600 feet deep, the largest deep-hole dimension granite quarry in the world. It has been worked continuously since 1880.

A fine-grained, light grey biotite-muscovite granite roughly 380 million years old. Its tight, even grain and slow weathering have made it the dominant US memorial stone for more than a century.

Rock of Ages Corporation, founded in 1885 and based in Graniteville, Vermont. The company supplies dimension granite for memorials, architecture, and government installations across North America.

Yes. The seasonal visitor center on Graniteville Road has a free observation deck over the active pit. Narrated shuttle tours run into the quarry for an additional fee from late spring through fall.

In the village of Graniteville, in Barre Town, Washington County, Vermont, about 5 miles south of the city of Barre and 17 miles southeast of the state capital, Montpelier.

Memorials and headstones, including a large share of US military markers, plus architectural cladding and monument bases. Cutting and finishing happen at the Craftsman Center next to the quarry.

— about the piece in your home

Barre's identity is bound up with the quarry; many local families trace work back to the Italian and Scottish cutters who shaped the industry. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio is fitting for a Barre family or a stoneworker.

The cool greys and clean geometry of the pit read well in industrial-modern, minimalist, and mountain-modern rooms. The vertical composition also suits a single statement wall in a stone or concrete interior.

Yes. Quarry and stone-yard subject matter has stayed steady in industrial-modern and brutalist-leaning rooms, where it works against polished concrete and raw steel.

Above a standard sofa a single Large works; above a long console a 4-tile Mural suits the geometry of the pit. A 9-tile Mural carries a tall industrial wall.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and rated for vertical installation in showers, backsplashes, and humid rooms.

Soft microfibre and water for routine dust. For a deeper clean, a damp cloth with a drop of mild dish soap, then dry with a second microfibre. No abrasive sponges.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to our studio in Knoxville, Tennessee, and hand-finished in-house. We do not license imagery from other artists or stock libraries.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

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