Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Barre boasts the only fully operational granite quarry that remains in the state.
6. Barre
Forested mountains hem in Rte. 14 as it snakes northward through a chasm called the Wil-
liamstown Gulf. Farther on, after emerging from the deep valley, the drive enters the town
of Barre, where the New England work ethic is clearly in evidence.
More than 1,500 residents are employed by local granite quarries and stonecutters,
which produce one-third of the nation's memorial stones. The biggest pit of them all—the
largest, deepest granite quarry in the world—lies to the southeast of Barre in aptly named
Graniteville,wheretheRockofAgescompanyhasbeenminingstonesfromtheearthsince
1885. Guided tours are available in summer, and visitors can watch as skilled stonecutters
reshape blocks weighing as much as 200 tons.
SpreadingacrossthehillsidesnorthofBarre,HopeCemetery,likeanoutdoorsculpture
garden,isrepletewiththefinishedproductsofthegranite-carvingartisans.Thestoneshave
been fashioned with consummate skill to resemble everything from racing cars, airplanes,
and soccer balls to the detailed likenesses of people.
7. Craftsbury Common
Part of the Northeast Kingdom, this backcountry corner of Vermont has a subdued rural
gracethatcombineslakes,woodlands,andmeadows.AsRte.14rollsthroughtheregion,it
passes towns with names reflecting the area's French-Canadian and Yankee heritages: East
Montpelier and Calais, Woodbury and Hardwick.
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