E. L. Smith Roundhouse Granite Shed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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E.L. Smith Roundhouse Granite Shed
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | Burnham St., Barre, Vermont |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1933 |
| Architectural style | Horseshoe Granite Shed |
| NRHP reference No. | 11000704 |
| Added to NRHP | September 26, 2011 |
The E.L. Smith Roundhouse Granite Shed is a special old building in Barre, Vermont. It's called a "granite shed" because it was used to cut and shape large pieces of granite stone. This building is very unique because it's the only known circular granite cutting shed still standing in the United States. It was built way back in 1889. Because it's so important to history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.
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What is the Roundhouse Granite Shed?
The E.L. Smith Roundhouse Granite Shed is located on Burnham Street in Barre, Vermont. It's part of a bigger area where many businesses still work with granite. The shed itself is a large, two-story building with sixteen sides. Imagine a circle, but made with many straight walls! It has a roof that slopes gently upwards, like a cone. The outside walls are covered with wooden boards called clapboards.
Inside the Unique Building
When it was first built, the roof had a small tower called a cupola in the center. Sadly, a fire in 1968 damaged the building, and the cupola was lost. Even so, much of the original wooden frame inside is still there. Some parts have been replaced with strong steel beams to keep it sturdy.
One of the coolest features inside is an original crane. This crane is mounted on a central arm that can spin around. This clever design allowed workers to move heavy granite slabs to any part of the building. The crane still has many of its first parts, but now it runs on electricity instead of being moved by hand. This historic building is still used today for processing granite, just as it was over a hundred years ago.
History of the E.L. Smith Roundhouse
The main part of the shed was built in 1889 by a man named Emery L. Smith. He owned a local granite quarry, which is a place where granite is dug out of the ground. Emery L. Smith was a very important person in the growth of Barre's granite industry. He helped develop the railroad system that connected the quarries to the cutting sheds in the city. This made it much easier to transport the heavy stone.
Innovation in Granite Cutting
Emery L. Smith was also very creative in how he got the stone out of the ground and prepared it. The circular design of this building was one of his smart ideas. It allowed the central crane to reach every part of the building, making it easier and faster to move huge granite slabs. This innovation helped the granite industry in Barre become very successful. Over the years, the building has had different owners, but it has always been used for working with granite.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Vermont
- Beck and Beck Granite Shed: Another historic granite shed in Barre, Vermont, also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Lyon's Turning Mill: A historic granite mill in Quincy, Massachusetts, also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
