Vermont Marble Museum facts for kids
 |
|
| Location | 52 Main Street Proctor, Vermont, United States |
|---|---|
| Type | Art, industry museum |
The Vermont Marble Museum was a special place in Proctor, Vermont, United States. It celebrated the amazing history of Vermont marble and the Vermont Marble Company. The museum was located inside one of the old company buildings. It was open for almost 90 years, showing how important marble was to the area. Sadly, the museum closed its doors for good in 2024.
Contents
The Vermont Marble Company
The Vermont Marble Company started in 1880. It was founded by a smart businessman and politician named Redfield Proctor. He was also the company's first president.
Marble was dug up from the ground, a process called quarrying. This happened in Proctor, which was once called Sutherland Falls, and nearby towns like Rutland, West Rutland, and Danby.
When railroads came to Rutland and Proctor, it became easier to move the heavy marble. This helped the Vermont Marble Company grow into one of the biggest marble producers in the world!
Famous Buildings Made with Vermont Marble
Vermont marble was used to build many famous places. Imagine how much marble it took for these:
- The USS Arizona Memorial
- The West Virginia State Capitol
- The Oregon State Capitol
- The United States Supreme Court Building
- Parts of Arlington National Cemetery
- Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
The famous Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was also created using marble from Vermont.
The town of Proctor was even named after Redfield Proctor. It became a company town, meaning it grew up around the marble company. Many people who lived there worked for the company.
Today, the old buildings and quarries of the Vermont Marble Company are owned by a company called OMYA. They supply industrial minerals.
What You Could See at the Exhibit
The museum offered tours where you could learn about the company's past. You could also discover how marble forms (its geology) and how it's used in art, buildings, and other industries.
A short video told the story of the Vermont Marble Company. Old photos showed workers digging, carving, and shipping the marble.
Cool Displays and Sculptures
The museum had several interesting displays about geology. There was even an artificial cave! A preserved skeleton of a triceratops dinosaur was also on display, which was very exciting.
You could see large, beautiful slabs of different types of stone. This included local white marble from Danby and deep green marble called verde antique. There were also local granites and marbles brought in from other countries.
Many sculptures were scattered throughout the museum. These included busts (head and shoulder sculptures) of almost all the U.S. presidents. There was also a large carving of The Last Supper and other amazing artworks.
Watch Artists at Work
In an artists' studio, visitors could watch local sculptors carving marble. You could even ask them questions about their work!
The museum also showed how marble is used in buildings. There was a small chapel and a modern kitchen and bathroom, all covered in beautiful stone. From a balcony, you could look down into one of the huge old warehouses of the Vermont Marble Company, which OMYA now uses.
The Quarry and Town
A nearby marble quarry, which is no longer used, was added to the exhibit in 2015. It was about a quarter-mile from the museum. Around the museum grounds, you could see large pieces of unfinished marble that had been dug up.
The town of Proctor itself has many sidewalks made of marble. The high school and the Catholic church in town are also built with local stone. Most of the old Vermont Marble Company buildings are still standing, and many are made of Vermont marble.
After marble production stopped in the town, fewer people visited the museum. Most visitors came on bus tours, and the museum started to have money problems. They couldn't update the exhibits or hire full-time staff. After closing temporarily during the pandemic, it reopened briefly. But after trying to keep it going, the museum quietly closed permanently in the fall of 2024.
Website
- Vermont Marble Museum
