Granite Niche

Barre, VT (population 9,291) sits on one of the highest quality granite deposits in the USA, billing itself as the “Granite Center of the World.” The even coloring and texture of its granite made it ideal for monumental works. Technological advances in the cutting of stone, railroads for transporting it and the popularity of Victorian-style memorials and family mausoleums created an economic boom for the town.

“Granite employment probably peaked at 3,000 in the 40s or 50s, but there are still over 1,000 employed in the industry in Barre. And they are producing more than at any time in history, but with more productivity and less people.” Richard Angney, head of Central VT ED explained to me as we toured the town and saw some of the incredible examples of the work in the community.

Today there are 50 companies in the granite cluster, ranging from quarrying to art schools. Over half of the production in the community is from granite quarried elsewhere, because of the craftsmanship of the local workers. The local newspaper had a front page story and picture on the day I was there of a local artisan’s ten-ton granite teddy bear that was being shipped to MN for a park.

Clusters such as this can bring tremendous benefits to a community and region. The key to the older ones such as this is to continually reinvent oneself and find new areas of use for the ever-evolving technologies and processes that are developed.