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FALL 2016
2016 - 2017
BARRE LIFEBGA Of!cers
President Mark Gherardi
TreasurerSarah Somerville
BGA TrusteesTom Gandin
Gandin Bothers, Inc.
Mark GherardiButtura and Gherardi Granite Artisans
Rob BoulangerRock of Ages
Sarah SomervilleHillside Stone Products, Inc.
Clement VaillancourtSpruce Mountain Granite &
Custom Sandblast, Inc.
Editor and BGA Photographer
Jim Eaton
The Barre Granite Association is Movingand Member Pro!les
Steve Pappas
Out of InfancyTodd Patten
Design & PrintingPop Color
Williston, Vermont
Barre Granite 51 Church Street Barre, VT 05641
Phone: 802-476-4131Fax: 802-476-4765
Farewell 51 Church Street!
The Barre Granite Association was founded in 1889 and has made its home rightacross the street from City Park for many years. Now the membership has decidedto take a new course and we are most excited about relocating to the VermontGranite Museum here in Barre. The VGM has been evolving for over 20 years andit now makes perfect sense for our association to make its home at this fine venue.As I write this, carpenters are busy making the final touches to the renovation ofoffices for us at the VGM. Barre Granite Association member firms will alsofacilitate a display of fine memorial products to be exhibited throughout themuseum as a testament to the fine craftsmanship and knowhow of Barre’s craftsmenwho are unparalleled anywhere else in the world!
The leadership of both the Vermont Granite Museum and the Barre GraniteAssociation are excited about the seemingly endless benefits that will come fromthis alliance. We have plans to hold Retail Memorialist Association meetings,conventions and other such functions right at our new home. We will be offeringmemorial retailer memberships to the BGA and VGM that will identify each retailfirm as a member to all visitors of the museum. We also will share attendanceinformation from visitors of the museum to retailer members for contact purposes.
The VGM is ever-evolving under the leadership of Scott McLaughlin who is thecurator of the museum and administers all day to day business. You will be awed bythe historical content and legacy depicting the Barre area granite manufacturingheritage. The museum is under constant expansion and change is a daily functionthere. We are most excited to be a strong part of that change going forward andextend to you our invitation to visit both the Barre Granite Association and theVermont Granite Museum upon your next visit. We will open up retailmemberships to both associations in the very near future. Stay tuned… the BarreGranite Association is on the move!
Best Regards,Mark Gherardi
On the Cover…!e U-1 area of the Rock of Ages’ E.L. Smith Quarry looking West towards the Green Mountain Range. !is area of the Smith quarry produces the best medium grade ofBarre Gray® granite for Rock of Ages’ block customers.
We hope you take the time to visit www.barregranite.org and see what we are doing tostimulate demand. If you have a smart phone and the QR app, scan our QR codeand visit the mobile site that corresponds to our regular web site. We welcomeyou to become a member of the family of high quality retailers as we work toeducate the consumer about how “Made in Vermont” equals enduring quality.
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Spruce Mountain Granites and Custom Sandblast, Inc.
New Hampshire Global War on
Terror Memorial Located in
Boscawen, NH.This memorial is
dedicated to NewHampshire patriots whohave given their fullest
measure for the State and Nation
in the war on terror.
Designed by Barre Drafting,Dana Morrisette.
After careful considerationand consultation by
monument professionalsat Spruce Mountain
Granites, Dark Impalagranite with steeled and
honed surfaces wereselected for their longevity
and everlasting beauty.
The 2-10 x 8-8 central hexagon spire features a 3-4 x 2” raised,hand sculpted field memorial with emblems of the
6 military branches along the bottom.
Atop it sits a 2-0 turned and honed globe with sandblasted continents.
All steeled hexagon base with all honed caps.
4 Hero walls 8-0 x 0-8 x 2-8 all steeled with inscriptions of the fallen heroes.
3-0 x 0-8 x 6-0 all steeled tablet with a commemorative bronze plaque.
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Buttura and Gherardi Granite ArtisansThe CHU memorial was created for Davis Monument of Roslindale, MA
Overall size of 8-0x1-6x7-2.
It is manufactured of Jet Black granite in our plants to ensure an exact fit for the cap, tablet,
and half columns which are 5 inches in relief of the tablet.
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Rock Of Ages Corporation
When approached by a close family friend, Drew Gidden of Gidden Memorials
recommended and designed this 9’ Round Seal Blue Gray memorial featuring a
beautifully hand sculpted kneeling angel.
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Buttura and Gherardi Granite ArtisansThe Leclair mausoleum was manufactured for
Inch Memorials of Northville, Michigan in select Barre granite.
It is a 2 crypt unit with sculpted roses and hand tooled round raised family name as well as
beautiful and intricate molding around 4 sides of the roof.
The half columns and 2-0 high urns are completely manufactured in-house.
The overall size is 9-0x10-6x11-2 and the entire unit was pre-assembled in our plants and shipped
in two modular sections for final setting.
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Pepin Granite Company, Inc.Manufactured for Rochester Monument in Webster, NY
Dark Barre Gray Die 2-10 x 1-6 x 3-6
Dark Barre Base 3-2 x 2-2 x 1-4
All Rock with hand tooled and dusted relief and round raised family name.
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Gandin Brothers, Inc.Manufactured for Harrisville Memorials of Harrisville, PA
This Dark Barre monument measures 7-6 X 1-2 X 5-8.
Consisting of a custom Celtic cross with multiple setbacks and wings cut to match the contour of the cross.
Accented by a Dark Barre base with polished margins.
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Buttura & Gherardi Granite Artisans
Skylight Studios of Woburn worked with us to design a permanentdisplay case that uses Lexan glass and stainless steel fasteners
to ensure that they will always have access to the display exhibits.
The overall size of this all steeled Barre granite unit is 7-10x4-10x6-6and it actually is set on the original base of the old display.
This unit was pre-assembled in our plants for one lift setting on site.
The town of Woburn, MA was in need of a permanent display caseto replace their dilapidated old wooden one to house
a genuine artifact from the USS Maine which was sunk in 1898 off the coast of Cuba.
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Rock of Ages Corporation
A stunning example of incorporating various finishes to maximize contrast.
Measuring 16’-0 x 16’-0 x 15’-10”, this Round Seal Blue Gray mausoleum
features two full round hand-carved statues of St. Joseph & St. Anthony with child,
sculpted by Stanislaw Lutostanski.
The team from Wellwood Memorials guidedthe LaMarche family through the entire process.
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Granite Industries of VermontManufactured for Geiger & Sons in Erie, PA
Wausau Red Monument
Die: 6-0 x 0-8 x 3-6 Pol. 2, Scalloped Oval Top & Ends, Rock Border
Subbase: 6-6 x 1-0 x 0-8 All Polished
Base: 7-0 x 1-4 x 0-10 PFT, BRP, 8" Polished Margin Front
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B&B Monumental Engravers
Steve Bigras knows about family. He started B&BMonumental Engravers with his father Maurice nearly 33years ago. Maurice had been sandblasting and !nishing foryears before that. But together, a"er years of renting spacefor their business, father and son bought a run-down granite shedand spent months renovating and !tting it for the sandblastingbusiness that thrives today. While Maurice retired years ago, Stevestill works with two of his sons.
But what stands out about Bigras’ crew is the e#ciency withwhich they work, and how they all treat one another — like family.
Walking through Bigras’ shed, one is struck by its order andcleanliness. Bigras has designed his business around e#ciency,pushing hundreds of monuments through each week. His crew,some who have worked with him now for more than 30 years, aretrained on every aspect of the operation, allowing them to step intoany role where a colleague might be falling behind.
Bigras never turns over help. His crew starts early and leaveswith plenty of time in the day to enjoy other things in their lives.$ey support one another constantly.
“$ese are my friends,” Bigras said.Bigras has worked in di%erent places through his career. What
he has wanted to foster at B&B is a high-quality product, adependable sta%, and a reputation for doing whatever needs to bedone.
Among the rooms he has at B&B, Bigras and his crew can takein large jobs to be sandblasted, giving them a unique leg up on manylocal sandblasters who might be more cramped for space.
“Sandblasting is all labor for the most part,” Bigras said. “Butit’s something we do well.” In the small of !ce o% the shed, EricMorse, a 21-year employee, uses the CAD program to prepare the
stencils for the monuments. Of the binders !lled with designs, allof them are Morse’s.
“We supply our customers with a very comprehensive set ofdesign books making it very easy for the dealer to use and sell theirproduct,” he said.
Bigras said if a rush job comes in, Morse can usually design itand they can have it out the door shortly a"er the stone arrives fromthe dealer. $at all comes down to the e#ciency of technology.
“But shaping still gets done by hand,” Bigras said. $at’s wherequality and cra"smanship — and experience — come in.
Most of their work is from vendors outside of Barre.“A lot of the customers we’ve had forever,” he said. And that
comes down to one thing: quality.“Service is the number one deal,” he said. “$e quality that
comes out of here, and comes out of this city has kept Barre on themap.”
Bigras used to do !nish work, but no more.“I don’t have time. You stay with what you can do well, and do
it,” he said of sandblasting.Bigras, now 58, has a laser etcher (and his son has an adjacent
auto body shop). But it’s the hand sandblasting that gets the mostuse in the business.
“We all pitch in. We all like coming to work,” Bigras said. “Ithink it shows in what goes out the door.”
We carry all types of granite to sell to retail memorialists.
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Granite Industries of Vermont
Cambra Gochie MonumentManufactured for Dana Nordberg in
Colebrook, NH
Jet Black Monument
Die: 3-0 x 0-6 x 3-6 Pol. 2,
Bal. Dusted, Special CutLaser Etched
Base: 3-4 x 1-0 x 0-6 PFT, BRP
Granite Industries of VermontPauta - Manufactured for Colizzi Memorials in Methuen, MA
Dark Barre Monument
Die: 4-0 x 0-8 x 2-10 Pol. 5, Oval Top
Hand Carved St. Joseph& Child done by Eric Oberg
Base: 5-0 x 1-2 x 0-10 PFT, BRP,
2" Polished Margin (4)
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Buttura & Gherardi Granite ArtisansThis beautiful feature was sculpted by Giuliano Cecchinelli
and is located in Resurrection Cemetery, Toledo, Ohio.
This statue of the Sacred Heart of Christ is cut 5-0 high full round and was manufactured in Select Barre granite.
This cemetery feature sets on a solid base that measures 3-0x2-6x1-6 and is all steeled finish with members 4 sides.
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All steeled Barre Tablet 2-6 x 0-8 x 5-0
Sandblast lettered, flush mounted Bronze military medals.
Barre sub base 3-2 x 1-4 x 0-8 all steeled
Barre bottom base 3-10 x 2-0 x 0-10, PFT, BRP
Spruce Mountain Granites and Custom Sandblast, Inc.
The Sharon Veteran’s memorial was designed by John Ricker, owner of Morse & Beggs Monument Co. in North Attleboro, MA.
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Gandin Brothers, Inc.This Dark Barre 7-2 X 2-4 x 3-8 memorial
was produced for the Sunday family,owners of White Rose Memorials of Delta, PA.
Gandin Bros. Inc. worked closely with Mike Sunday to design and manufacture this unique testament to his family.
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Pepin Granite Company, Inc.
This 8-crypt building was made from all steeled Barre Gray Granite with a bronze door.
The overall size is 10-4 x 9-4 x 10-8
This Weber & Andretta Mausoleum was manufactured for K.L. Keyser Memorials in Kingston, NY
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Spruce Mountain Granites and Custom Sandblast, Inc.
All polished Pennsylvania Mist triangular Spire with a beveled top.
All 3 sides are etched with full battle scenes of Iraqi Freedom, Persian Gulf War and Enduring Freedom.
The triangular Apex top is etched with the American Flag.
Dark Barre Base 5-4 x 1-0 x 1-0 round base, steeled top, BRP with 5 Military Bronze medals, flush mounted.
Enduring Freedom Memorial Produced for Loiselle Memorials in Hudson Falls, NY.
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Rock of Ages Corporation
The overall dimensions of thisRock of Ages Blue Gray mausoleum are 9’-0 x 12’-0 x 11’-6”
Tom Koch of Stone Art Memorial Co., was looking to provide his customer with an open-air design
that incorporated all the features of a walk-in mausoleum.
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Buttura & Gherardi Granite ArtisansThis Select Barre Granite memorial was manufactured
for Inch Memorials of Northville, Ml.
The die is 4-0x1-2x4-0 All Rustic Rock with sculpted angel including face portrait is 3 inches in relief and 3-8 high.
The base is 5-0x2-4x1-0 with a 3 inch steeled drop wash, BRP.
This beautiful feature memorial was sculpted by Giuliano Cecchinelli.
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Montpelier Granite WorksThis monument was done
for Keena Memorials in Manchester, CT
Barre Granite Die 3-0 x 1-0 x 3-0 Pol 2, Straight Top
4” Rock Border 2 sides
1” Champer 2 sides
S/B CVD
Base 3-6 x 1-10 x 1-4 Steeltop, Steel dropwash,
Margins front and back
Raised letters front and back
For Sarah Carbonneau Somerville, Hillside Stone Products Inc.is not just her business: it’s family. And not just in the traditionalsense. Somerville was raised in Barre, and has grown up with manyof the people around her in the granite industry.
Her father, Edmond Carbonneau started the company in 1954in a wire saw plant on Richardson Road, providing slabs cut fromrough blocks to Barre’s various memorial manufacturers.
In 1973, Edmond’s son Randy joined Hillside. He was 17.$ree years later, the company moved to its present manufacturingplant at Gable Place – an old Rock of Ages saw plant. Due to steadilygrowing customer demand, a 10-foot diameter diamond saw wasinstalled in 1980, and polishing equipment was added in 1983. $eyalso acquired a lathe in 1995 when Hillside merged with Grearson& Lane. $e lathe has allowed Hillside to pick up signi!cantcontracts for columns on mausoleums, urns and other projects. $eyo"en are subcontracted by other manufacturers because of theirhigh-quality work. $e lathe allows them to cut columns up to 10feet long and up to three feet in diameter.
For years, Norman and John Grearson stayed on with Hillside,before getting out of the business entirely. ($e Grearsons, also aBarre-based family, are related by marriage to the Carbonneaus. Andwhen it came time for the merger, then-attorney Brian Grearson –now a judge – handled all of the paperwork, keeping the dealcompletely local.)
Somerville started working with her father and brother in1985. She was 21. At that time, they introduced a variety ofarchitectural products for business applications, including cut-to-size stone for building facades, steps, pavers and other customgranite products. Countertops in a variety of styles and granites alsowere o%ered to retailers and homeowners throughout New England.$at part of the business was growing rapidly. $e started a separate
plant for the countertop division in the industrial park in 2003.Hillside sold o% its countertop division to Bernie Lajeunesse latelast year.
With tooling and cutting e#ciencies as technology has evolved,Hillside’s !ve employees are always busy.
“It’s solid and steady now,” Somerville said.With the constant demand for mausoleums and architectural
work, Hillside has a stack of projects piled up. “We are busy all ofthe time,” she said.
While many Barre manufacturing companies – many of themlocally owned – have merged, the remaining businesses seem to have!gured out their roles, allowing them to co-exist.
“It’s all interconnected,” Somerville said. “$at’s the part of thecommunity here that is so great.”
Somerville and her brother have grown up with many of theemployees at the other plants and businesses. Most of them havepersonal ties, as well as professional ties to the Barre GraniteAssociation and the Vermont Granite Museum, in Barre.
“We have all grown together,” she said, citing that sense ofcommunity as a great source of pride.
In addition to the customary contracts, Hillside has signed onto a more unique project: $e Tethys Project. $e artist, BobSchuler, of New York, is an “around the world art burial.” For morethan 30 years, Schuler has been sandblasting and chiseling symbols,personal glyphs and cartoon-like picture stories into 16-inch squareblocks made from Barre granite. Each block weighs in at 480pounds. A"er cutting the blocks at Hillside, they are shipped to theartist where he works on them. $e completed blocks are loaded onto small boats and dropped into the oceans, one every 100 milesalong predetermined routes.
Somerville said a documentary !lmmaker recently has been toHillside to chronicle their process in the global art project.
But it is those local collaborations between colleagues thatremains important to Somerville and her crew.
On its website, the family-run business owners boasts thefollowing: “Hillside is well-positioned to build on its exceptionalreputation for quality stone work. As a family owned and operatedcompany, we are committed to many more generations of service.”
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Hillside Stone Products Inc.
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Buttura & Gherardi Granite ArtisansThe CORMIER memorial was manufactured for
Colmer Monuments of Lowell, MA in Select Memory Rose granite.
The overall size is 7-0x1-4x5-10 and the die is all highly polished.
The sculpture of the Blessed Virgin is 3 inches in relief and 4-0 high by Giuliano Cecchinelli.
Three sandblasted cultivated roses balance out the design in the right corner.
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To endure over time,a company has to adaptand diversify. $at'sexactly what Rock ofAges has been doing tosecure its place in theindustry as well as theglobal market. $eBarre-based company,which was founded in1885, has a long historyin quarrying dimensionblocks for granitemanufacturers as well asmanufacturingmemorials for theirauthorized dealernetwork throughoutthe country.
Over the last fewyears, the company has
invested in development and technology to ensure its quarries continue to meet the steady demand for its various stones. Rock of Ages is the exclusivequarrier of Barre Gray®, Bethel White®, Salisbury Pink®, Gardenia White®, American Black®, Laurentian Rose® and Stanstead Gray®. While it shipsabout half of the granite it pulls from its quarries to building fabricators overseas, almost all of the trademarked Barre Gray® is used domestically for
memorials, mausoleums and precision products. Robert Campo, vicepresident of quarry sales, stated “We have reinvested heavily in our quarriesby developing and adapting them to the more modern wire sawingtechniques used in quarrying today. It's our way of assuring our customersthat we will remain a leader in the industry by being environmentallyconscious while keeping our quarry costs down and our block pricingcompetitive.”
To help stabilize costs and take advantage of modern technology andmemorial trends, the company has made investments in new equipment inits manufacturing plant as well. Some of these trends have forced manywithin the industry to pivot toward other markets in recent years. Accordingto Tom Burrington, vice president of mausoleum sales, “$at has meantlistening to the trends tracked by our 100 or so authorized dealers to adaptto the demand for cremation. Rock of Ages has embraced that trend bycoming up with unique designs for memorials and mausoleums thataccommodate cremains while adhering to cemetery rules and regulations.”Rob Boulanger, vice president of U.S. manufacturing operations, added that“While the percentage of cremations is expected to continue to increase thatdoes not mean that memorialization is out of the picture. $e manufacturersand retailers have to continue to develop and market granite products thatappeal to those who choose cremation.” Boulanger also said that as far asmemorials go, foreign imports continue to compete against the domesticmanufacturers, but that trend appears to be shi"ing as well. “Fromdiscussions with retailers and other Barre manufacturers, we are seeing itcome back around to where people want higher quality monuments forwhich Rock of Ages and Barre manufacturers are known, and formonuments made with premium granites like Barre Gray®. $e key is toproperly inform the consumer about what they are buying and where it ismade.”
Rock of Ages
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Meanwhile, the sales of privatemausoleums are rebounding to pre-2008levels. $e company is constantly in theprocess of cutting, preparing and assemblingmausoleums, some which are shipped inpieces on multiple trucks. Rock of Ages hasalso been working with more artists, as wellas doing commission work for colleges andmunicipalities, along with restoration workon monuments and older mausoleums.
In the Quarry Division, Campo and hissales team are soliciting architects,transformers and project owners who dolarge-scale work, requiring a regular supplyof rough dimension blocks, primarily in Asia,Europe and the Middle East. $ose largerblocks are most commonly used forarchitectural facades and interiors. “We arecompetitive in this market because of ourhigh quality stones and large inventories”,stated Campo. “Also, the majority of ourquarries have the ability to ramp productionin the event of a large project allowing us todeliver on time and an advantage over othermaterials.”
Locally, the company has taken on several collaborations with other Barre-based businesses. Boulanger said “In the end, the collaborations helppromote and strengthen the Barre granite manufacturing industry and Barre Gray®. We are all stronger working together and helping each otherwhen we need to.”
Rock of Ages has 275 employees in three states andtwo countries, many who have been with the companyfor over 25 years. $e company credits their employees’skills, loyalty and pride for who the company is today,quarrying the !nest stones, producing qualitymanufactured products and o%ering excellent customersupport to their many customers worldwide.
In 1984 Rock of Ages was purchased by the SwensonGranite Company LLC, headquartered in Concord,New Hampshire. Swenson Granite is a family-ownedbusiness that has been quarrying and cutting granite inNew England since 1883. Like Rock of Ages, theSwenson name has remained synonymous with a steadfastcommitment to quality and service for over 135 years.
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Rock of Ages CorporationTriumph is the latest creation of
renowned artist and sculptor, Richard Deutsch.
Located in Palo Alto, California at Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Polytraumaand Blind Rehabilitation Center, Triumph celebrates and appreciates thededication, service, and sacrifice that veterans have given to our country.
Rock of Ages was honored to help Mr. Deutsch in the creation of hisBarre Gray granite components which consist of several large oval rings, the largest measuring 8’-2” x 2’-0” x 12’-0”, and a large wall measuring
12’-1” x 1’-10” x 7’-5” which was contoured and honed to givethe appearance of a flag rippling in the wind.
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Pepin Granite Company, Inc.This monument was manufactured for Rochester Monuments in Webster, NY
2 India Black Dies 4-6 x 0-10 x 3-0 All Polished with hand carvings two sides
1 India Black Die 2-6 x 0-10 x 5-6 All Polished
India Black Base 12-1 x 1-6 x 0-10 Polished top with a 2” Polished Margin
Buttura & Gherardi Granite ArtisansThe GLASS memorial is manufactured of
Select Barre granite with Dark Impala Black accents.
The overall size is 9-7 x 2-8 x 7-6.
This unique design by Terry Joy of Rock of Ages SoutheastMemorials Elizabethtown, KY includes a portrait image in glass that is mounted in a cut through section of the two main dies.
Extreme care was taken in manufacturing the six components of the memorial as exact fit
had to be achieved for all pieces to align correctly.
The seat actually cuts through the die and protrudes out the back on both the left and right ends.
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Gandin Brothers, Inc.Following a traffic accident, the town of Bath, NH
found their early 1900’s war memorial in ruin.
Gandin Bros. Inc. was contracted to manufacturea new memorial to match the original exactly.
This 10-10 X 3-0 X 6-7; 8 piece Dark Barre granite war memorialstands in the common of the historic village of Bath, NH,
alongside a 390’ covered bridge built in 1833 and the oldest continuous running general store in the U.S.
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Global Values, Inc.Lewin Monuments, Fort Mitchell, KY
Stone: All DARK BARRE GRANITE
Die: 4-6 x 1-0 x 8-0 ALL POLISHED
Cap: 14-0 x 1-0 x 2-4 ALL POLISHED
Sub Base: 14-0 x 2-0 x 1-0 ALL POLISHED
Base: 15-0 x 3-0 x 1-6 POLISH TOP
Columns: 1-6 x 1-0 x 8-0 ALL POLISHED with 1” x 3” Polished checks and 3 sandblasted Flutes
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Pepin Granite Company, Inc.This Polished Barre Gray World War II memorial
was manufactured forEndicott Artistic Memorial Company in Endicott, NY
Overall size is 2-6 X 2-0 X 10-0
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Rock of Ages CorporationA classic 8-crpyt private mausoleum
utilizing modular construction.
Milano Monument Companymade certain that the Coates family’s vision was realized with this 12’-0 x 10’-6” x 10’-0
Round Seal Blue Gray mausoleum.
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Sandblast was done byCulture Craft Sandblast,
with finishing of raised letters done in house.
Bench Seat: 6-6x2-2x0-4Steel Top Balance Rock Pitch
with a 5” Curve
Pedestal: 6-0x1-9x2-0 Saw Top Balance Rock with a 5” Curve with
Sandblasted Raised Letters
Best Barre 3-10 x 1-0 x 3-10, all rock with tooled facial areas top,
front, back and ends. Hand sculpted column on right end
with wrap around carvings. Raised cross, deep rose and maple leaf.
Raised inscriptions and ribbon.Barre base 6-4 x 1-8 x 1-0 steeled top,
and tooled areas on front and ends.Barre Vases 1-0 x 1-0 x 1-2 raised
shamrock carvings all 4 sides, special tooled areas for rock flow
to match die and base.
Joe’s Custom ManufacturingOf Quality Memorials, Inc.
Spruce Mountain Granites and Custom Sandblast, Inc.
Hart Brothers
This was manufactured for Guernsey Monuments in Bangor, Maine.
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Buttura & Gherardi Granite ArtisansThe GALANTE memorial was manufactured
for Maver Memorials of Brockton, MA
Overall size of 3-0x1-6x7-0.
This Select Barre granite unit is identical front and back utilizing innovative CNC technology for an exact cut
of the Gothic relief and hand tooled cross.
This combination of highly polished faces, top and ends with contrasting members and cross give this memorial
a classic look that will last for eternity.
Ten beautifully sandblasted cultivated rosesserve to accent the Gothic design.
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Pepin Granite Company, Inc.This monument was manufactured for Pesavento Monuments in Scranton, PA
Canadian Pink Die 5-0 x 0-10 x 3-2All Polished with a 2.5” Relief Hand Carving
Canadian Pink Base 6-0 x 1-4 x 0-10
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Vermont Granite Museum
Calendar of Events for 2017RockFire ( June 24 and 25)
Barre Heritage Festival ( July 26-29)Granite Festival (September 9)
Every year millions of people visit America’s historic sites and parksgreat and small. $anks to community and granite industry support,we believe soon the Vermont Granite Museum will become one ofVermont’s premier historic attractions. Although the museum is in itsinfancy, it already has a great deal to o%er visitors and as each weekpasses more exhibits and opportunities for visitors to interact withVermont's granite history is added to the museum’s attractions. Todayvisitors can tour the restored 1895 Jones Brothers granite shed, whichis !lled with hundreds of plaster and stone sculptures, see dozens ofmachines used by the granite and allied tool industries, walk a ¾ miletrail along the river, climb the Museum’s bouldering wall, explore seven
interactive stations, and at times watch a blacksmith, sculptor, or etcher at work. Be on the lookout in 2017 for short courses inthe Museum’s Stone Arts School designed for those of all ages andskill levels. $e Museum is open mid-May through mid-October,Wednesday through Saturday 10am-4pm. We hope to see you atthe museum soon!
For more information or to share your granite industry storywith us, please contact us at:
Vermont Granite MuseumPO Box 282, 7 Jones Brothers WayBarre, Vermont [email protected]://www.vtgranitemuseum.org/
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B&B Monumental EngraversSteve Bigras25 Gable Place, Barre, VT 05641877-479-0907 • 802-479-0909Fax: 802-476-3822
Steve Bigras
Culture Craft Sandblast Inc.Charles DayP.O. Box 645, Barre, VT 05641802-476-7351 • 888-447-3614Fax: 802-476-6557
Charles Day
Gandin Bros., Inc.
“Butch” & Tom GandinP.O. Box 155, 87 Stoneshed Rd.South Ryegate, VT 05069800-433-0617 • 802-584-3521Fax: 802-584-4053
[email protected] “Butch”
GandinTom Gandin
Anand S. Anandan
Buttura & GherardiGranite ArtisansMark GherardiP.O. Box 606, Barre, VT 05641800-451-3252 • 802-476-6646Fax: 800-404-9991 • 802-476-5994
[email protected] www.graniteartisans.com
Mark Gherardi
Cochran’s, Inc.Sherman & Diane CochranP.O. Box 272 Barre, VT 05641802-479-1035 Fax: 802-479-1036
Sherman Cochran Diane Cochran
Global Values, Inc.21 Metro WayBarre, Vermont 05641802-476-8000 • 866-907-6776Fax: 802-476-8050 • 866-907-6257
[email protected] www.gvalues.com
Granite Industriesof VermontJeff MartellP.O. Box 537, Barre, VT 05641800-451-3236 • 802-479-2202Fax: 802-479-7917
Jeff Martell
Hillside StoneProducts, Inc.Randall CarbonneauP.O. Box 134, Barre, VT 05641802-479-2508 • Fax: 802-479-5438
Randall Carbonneau
Voting Members MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
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KinfolkMemorials, Inc.Norm & Maggie FournierP.O. Box 236East Barre, VT 05649800-659-1423 • 802-479-1423Fax: 802-476-3394
Norm Fournier
M & W Polishing
Waldo MugfordP.O. Box 521Barre, VT 05641802-476-8340
Waldo Mugford
Rob Pelkey
Maggie Fournier
Joe’s CustomManufacturing ofQuality MemorialsGerard “Jerry” PerreaultP.O. Box 279, East Barre, VT 05649-0279800-787-4004 • 802-479-9266Fax: 800-447-9268 • 802-479-0644
Gerard “Jerry” Perreault
MemorialSandblast Co.Mike & Rob PelkeyP.O. Box 582Barre, VT 05641802-476-7086Fax: 802-476-7567
Mike Pelkey
MontpelierGranite WorksMichelle Mureta Parker65 Granite Shed LaneMontpelier, VT 05602800-451-4513802-223-2581Fax: 802-223-0525
Michelle Mureta Parker
NortheastGranite Co.Guy Edson2 Granite St., Montpelier, VT 05602800-950-3066 • 802-223-3502Fax: 802-223-6610
Guy Edson
Peerless Granite Co.Bret MugfordP.O. Box 313, Barre, VT 05641800-654-6069802-476-3061Fax: 802-476-3014
Bret Mugford
Pepin Granite Co., Inc.John PepinP.O. Box 566, Barre, VT 05641800-654-5420 • 802-476-5830Fax: 802-476-5470
[email protected]://pepingranite.rocks/wp/
John Pepin
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY Voting Members
38
Spruce MountainGranites& CustomSandblast, Inc.
Paul Bagalio II, PresidentClement Vaillancourt, Vice PresidentP.O. Box 427, Barre, VT 05641866-476-7474 • 802-476-7474Fax: 802-476-8181
[email protected]@sprucemountaingranites.comwww.sprucemountaingranites.com
Paul Bagalio II Clem Vaillancourt
SwensonGranite Co., LLCBob PopeP.O. Box 626Barre, VT 05641802-476-7021Fax: 802-476-2251
Bob Pope
Rock of Ages Corporation560 Graniteville RoadGraniteville, VT 05654802-476-3115Fax: 802-476-2110Toll Free (800) 421-0166
Donald Labonte
Stone Valley Sandblast Veteran Owned and Operated
Daniel Orton/James M. VerdonP.O. Box 986Barre, VT 05641802-622-8225Fax: 802-622-8225
[email protected]@gmail.com
Voting Members MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
39
AccountingSalvador and Babic, P.C.Tom Babic240 S. Main St.Barre, VT 05641802-476-8673Fax: [email protected]
BankingKey BankAmy White315 No. Main St.Barre, VT 05641802-476-4135Fax: [email protected]
North!eld Savings BankAl Flory289 No. Main St.Barre, VT 05641802-476-2400Fax: [email protected]
Community National BankRegan Howard316 N. Main St.Barre, VT 05641802-476-6565Fax: 802-476-0039rhoward@communitynationalbank.comwww.communitynationalbank.com
FinanceEdward Jones InvestmentsHans Asoera322 N. Main St., Suite 4Barre, VT 05641802-476-6200Fax: 888-223-5557www.edwardjones.com
Computer ServicesBreen Systems ManagementMatthew P. MertensP.O. Box 131Vergennes, VT 05491802-879-4912 Fax: [email protected]
Monumental Computer Applications, Inc.9 Genesee St.P.O. Box 489Cherry Valley, NY 13320607-264-3611www.monu-cad.com
EducationVermont Granite Museum of BarreScott A. McLaughlinP.O. Box 282Barre, VT 05641802-476-4605Fax: [email protected]
InsuranceBerrian Insurance Group, Vermont Kim J. Berrian P. O. Box 647Waits!eld, VT 05673802-496-9190Fax: 802-496-9515www.bigvermont.com
Hackett, Valine and MacDonaldMichael T. WalshP.O. Box 2127So. Burlington, VT 05407-2127802-658-1100www.hvm.com
Legal ServicesPrimmer, Piper, Eggleston & Cramer PCGary Karnedy100 East St.Montpelier, VT 05602802-862-0880Fax: [email protected]
Zalinger, Cameron & Lambek, PCJ. Scott Cameron140 Main St.Montpelier, VT 05602802-223-1100Fax: [email protected]
PrintingPop ColorMichael Swaidner237 Commerce St., Suite 102Williston, VT [email protected]
RestaurantWayside Restaurant, Bakery & CreameryBrian & Karen Zecchinelli1873 U.S. Route 302Montpelier, VT 05602802-223-6611www.waysiderestaurant.com“Serving Locals & Travelers Since 1918”
The Barre Granite Association welcomes our new Supporting Member the Wayside Restaurant,
Yankee Cooking at its Best Since 1918.
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY Supporting Members
40
SupplierAllen Lumber Co.Gary Allen502 No. Main St.Barre, VT 05641802-476-4156Fax: [email protected]
Casella Waste ManagementJohn Casella408 East Montpelier RoadMontpelier, VT 05602802-224-0117Fax: [email protected]
Conti Oil, Inc.Marc ContiP.O. Box 7Websterville, VT 05678802-476-5252 Fax: [email protected]
Dessureau Machines IncArt DessureauP.O. Box 40253 Granite StBarre, VT 05641802-476-7041Fax: [email protected]
Ducharme’s Machine ShopPierre Ducharme1670 McGlynn RoadGraniteville, VT 05624802-476-6675Fax: [email protected]
Granite City Tool CompanyDonald AllenBlackwell St., P.O. Box 41111Barre, VT 05641802-476-3137Fax: 802-476-8403granitecitytoolco@myfairpoint.netwww.granitecitytoolvt.com
Miles Supply Co., Inc.Charlie Martin143 Boynton StBarre, VT 05641802-476-3963Fax: [email protected]
Reynolds & Son, Inc.Todd GoulettePO Box 380So. Barre, VT 05670802-479-0101Fax: 802-479-0135toddgeulette@reynoldsandson.comwww.reynoldsandson.com
Stone Tech, Inc. Diamond ToolsWolfgang NoetzoldP.O. Box 661Barre, VT 05641802-476-3122Fax: [email protected]
Trow & HoldenNorman AkleyP.O. Box 475Barre, VT 05641802-476-7221Fax: [email protected]
TruckingA. Bellavance & Sons, Inc.Roland BellavanceP.O. Box 398Barre, VT 05641802-479-9311Fax: 802-479-9777rolandb@bellavancetrucking.comwww.bellavancetrucking.com
QuarriesRock of Ages Corporation- Quarry DivisionRobert CampoP.O. Box 482Barre, VT 05641802-476-3121Fax: [email protected]
Supporting Members MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
James M. Boutwell was born in Montpelier, Vermont, in1856 at a time when the nearby Barre granite quarries werelanguishing for lack of e#cient transportation. A"er completinga grade-school education, Boutwell became an apprenticemachinist and was working for the Montpelier & Wells RiverRailroad by age 19. His strong powers of observation and hisnatural mechanical skills a%orded him an innate capacity forsolving di#cult problems. His employers soon recognized hisaptitude for mechanical engineering and began utilizing histalents. $e railroad’s con!dence in his abilities would prove apivotal factor in establishing him as one of the preeminent!gures in the history of the Barre granite industry.
In 1875, the Central Vermont Railroad extended its linefrom Montpelier into Barre, providing the e#cienttransportation system needed to energize the near-dormantBarre granite industry. But one hurdle remained—the quarrieslay in Barre Town at an elevation of 1,025 feet above the city.$e grade, at its steepest point rising 470 feet to the mile, wastoo steep for a conventional traction system. Debate arose as towhether to employ a cog rail or to build a traction systemutilizing a series of switchbacks. Ward Crosby, a noted railroadengineer, recommended the switchbacks over the cog system,but the railroad was hesitant. James Boutwell’s vote for theswitchbacks won them over, and Boutwell was assigned the jobof overseeing the construction of the “Sky Route”, connectingBarre’s quarries to the railroad depot in the city, providing ane#cient means of transporting the granite and positioning theindustry for a boom that would last for forty years.
$e last quarter of the 19th century and the !rst twodecades of the 20th century witnessed a surge in immigrationto Barre, men coming from the far-)ung reaches of the earth,some alone, some with family in tow, seeking jobs in Barre’s nowburgeoning quarries and factories (sheds). Scots from Aberdeenwere soon followed by northern Italians, Swedes, Fins, Dutch,Spanish, Brits, Welch and French-Canadians. $e populationof Barre swelled from 1,882 in 1870 to over 12,000 by 1910. Itis estimated that by 1900 there were about 70 quarry companiesoperating on Millstone Hill (now Quarry Hill) and that therewere more than 100 granite fabricating businesses in the greaterBarre area. During this period, Barre established itself as the“memorial capital” of the US as the fame of the virtues of Barregranite and the workmanship of Barre’s artisans spread.
One of the most remarkable features about the Barregranite industry is its resiliency. $is period of rapid expansionwas rife with opportunities for those with pluck anddetermination, but the industry faced many challenges as well.$ese early pioneers were quick to adopt the latest technologicaladvances to reduce costs and increase e#ciency. Pneumaticdrilling and !nishing equipment were introduced to the Barreindustry in 1892. Soon many !rms had exchanged steam drillsfor pneumatically powered drills in the quarries and factoriesemployed the latest pneumatic surfacers. $is pneumaticequipment propelled the !ne granite dust into the air. By World
War I era, hundreds of men were dying from lung disease, at !rstmisdiagnosed as Tuberculosis, a common killer of the time, butsoon medical researchers realized the lung disease was due tothe prolonged inhalation of the silica-bearing granite dust.Silicosis, also known as “white lung”, would prove a scourge tothe industry, claiming hundreds of men in the prime of life andleaving hundreds of widows and fatherless children in itsruthless wake. $is health crisis escalated in the fall of 1918when the Spanish In)uenza spread to Barre.
According to the national census of 1910, Vermont had apopulation of 355,956 people. Nearly 44,000 of them weresickened by the )u epidemic and nearly 1800 died, many ofthem Barre stonecutters whose lungs were compromised bysilicosis. $e )u pandemic had largely subsided by November,with a few cases lingering into January of 1919, but silicosisremained an ever-present health threat to Barre’s granite workersfor the next twenty years. $e industry took action, developingways to reduce the dust hazard. By the early 1930s water wasbeing used in most of Barre’s quarries to suppress dust; water,suction and air !ltration were combined to reduce the incidenceof silicosis in Barre’s granite sheds. In 1937 the VermontLegislature mandated such safety standards and those businesseswho had not voluntarily adopted them previously were forcedto do so. Within a generation the scourge of silicosis wasdefeated.
Silicosis was not the only enemy the Barre granite industryfaced in the 1930s. $e stock market collapse of 1929 led to thegreatest economic disaster this nation has ever faced. Many ofBarre’s granite !rms failed, but others survived due toinnovation. It might seem counterintuitive in the face of suchdevastating economic upheaval that Barre producers beganadvertising the concept of pre-need memorials to expand theirmarkets. But the novel concept proved a successful innovationthat helped save the industry from ruin. And continued nationaladvertising kept the Barre industry in the mind of the public sothat it was poised for success a"er the production limitationsfaced during World War II.
During the 1950s and 1960s the industry )ourished. $eskill of Barre’s granite artisans garnered a solid reputation. “Barreroses” became the standard against which all other memorialroses were judged and Barre gray granite became the “goldstandard” of memorial stones.
$e last !"y years have brought great change to the Barreindustry as a whole. Technological advances have revolutionizedboth the quarrying and fabricating of granite, enabling theindustry to remain competitive in an ever increasingly globalmarket. Today foreign imports and cremation are two of thegreatest challenges facing the Barre granite industry, but I amcon!dent that the same spirit of innovation and resilience thatcaused the industry to triumph during pandemics, world warsand economic collapse will rise to these new challenges, adaptand innovate and prove victorious.
OUT OF INFANCY:THE BARRE GRANITE INDUSTRY!PART 2
Barre Granite Association51 Church StreetBarre, Vermont 05641-4277
The Barre Granite Association is moving.After decades of serving its members in the former school house on Church Street in the Granite City, the BGA is moving its staff and
office to a space inside the Vermont Granite Museum on Route 302.In recent years, the BGA staff and board of directors found it had not needed all of the space in the Church Street building. While the
office and its executive director have not yet made the move to the former Jones Brothers granite shed that now houses the museum, themove is imminent. The museum space, inside the renovated granite shed,has more than enough space for offices, displays and even work areas forcarvers, sculptors and more. A new office space for the BGA is being added;the two organizations will share a conference room and certain resources. Inthe end, the sharing of services with the Vermont Granite Museum staff, aswell as providing an active display about Barre’s granite manufacturers, willmutually benefit both organizations, members of both boards have agreed.
The idea for the move germinated two years ago, leading to a series ofmeetings between the boards of directors of the BGA and the VGM. A yearago, as a result of those discussions, the BGA board of directors made itsdecision to sell the Church Street building. The building was put on thereal estate market earlier this summer. In the coming months, the BGA alsohopes to hire a new executive direction — someone who will guide theorganization to further promote Barre’s granite industry and usher themembership into a more high-profile market through social media, onlineproducts and other innovations and ventures. That marketing also aims togrow membership and partnerships within the community, as well asexpand resources throughout the granite industry. By sharing space at themuseum, the BGA board is hoping it can also use the space to draw in tradegroups and other organizations for functions and events. Already, the VGMrents out some space, including for dances, large gatherings and even theHalloween haunted house.
The BGA has two functions on the books that it hopes will impressmembers of the Marble Institute of America and Building Stone Institute,as well as representatives from the American Institute of CommemorativeArt, who are coming to Barre for the first time in many years. The board ofdirectors of the BGA believe the move to the Jones Brothers buildingaccents the mission of the BGA while also taking into account what is bestfor the local community, and the museum as well.
And the move certainly offers the perfect venue to highlight all of thework being done here. The active display will allow all of Barre’smanufacturers to have their own area to feature work. In that way, the BGAcan send dealers and other interested parties to the museum to see the highquality craftsmanship of Barre’s various granite manufacturers. The jointeffort will provide a much friendlier space while featuring both historicaland modern day methods and products coming out of Barre. The moveshould be completed sometime this autumn.
