Rock of Ages Corporation facts for kids
Rock of Ages Corporation is a company that digs up and shapes granite stone. It is located in a town called Graniteville, in Vermont, USA. The company started a long time ago, in 1885.
Rock of Ages is known for its large granite quarry and for creating beautiful stone products. They have been working with granite for over a century.
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Company History and Growth
Rock of Ages Corporation began its journey in 1885. Over the years, it has grown to become a major player in the granite industry.
Joining with Other Stone Companies
In 2010, Rock of Ages joined with another company called Swenson Granite. Swenson Granite was based in Concord, New Hampshire. This merger brought two big granite companies together.
Later, in 2016, a Canadian company named Polycor Inc. bought both Swenson Granite and Rock of Ages. Polycor is a natural stone producer from Quebec City, Canada. This purchase made Polycor the biggest producer of marble and granite in North America. The deal also included Rock of Ages' Canadian branch in Stanstead, Quebec.
Exploring the Granite Quarry
Rock of Ages has the world's largest "deep hole" granite quarry. This quarry is called the "E. L. Smith Quarry." The special granite found here is known as Barre Granite. It formed a very long time ago, during the Devonian period.
How Granite is Mined
In the past, workers used simple tools like hand saws to cut the granite. They also used explosives to blast away large sections of the quarry.
Today, the methods are much more modern. Workers now use special diamond-tipped wire saws. They also use powerful water jets to cut the stone. These new tools make the process more precise.
Visiting the Quarry
Visitors can come to the Rock of Ages factory and gift shop. From there, they can watch the quarry workers. It's a great chance to see how they cut the huge granite blocks from the quarry walls.
Notable Works of Granite
Rock of Ages granite has been used in many important projects.
- The United States Korean War Memorial in Busan, South Korea is one famous example. It features a sculpture by Frank Gaylord that was carved from Barre Granite.
