The Elberton granite story began in 1889 when the areas first commercial quarry opened. Today - over 40 quarries are in operation producing approximately 2 million cubic feet of select blue grey granite annually - 90% of Elberton granite production is for cemetery memorials, over 250,000 cemetery monuments, markers and mausoleums are manufactured here each year.
Total sales exceed $125 million dollars - there's no doubt about it - Elberton deserves its billing as granite capital of the world.
Today quarry workers use a method called jet piercing, employing a small combustion chamber attached to a long hollow steel shaft which generates a heat of 28000 F. and it cuts a 4" wide channel thru the granite. After a large rectangular section of granite has been completely channeled on all sides, the large block is ready to be broken free and lifted from the bed of the quarry. First a series of holes are drilled horizontally along the bottom of the section, then small charges of black powder are placed in the holes. When the charges are detonated, the small explosion has just enough force to break the block loose from the bed of the quarry.
Once the large block is free, smaller more managable pieces are broken free - if you can call 10-15 ton more managable. To do this, a series of 6" deep holes are drilled, then wedges and shims are driven into the holes with a sledge hammer, splitting the granite block like a piece of wood. Then the smaller blocks are placed on a truck for shipment to one of Elberton's 150 manufacturing plants.
