The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-02-28
"A Forceful Vermont Industry"

is also proud OF the literary aDlllty
with which a phase of this industry
is brought before the public in the
article by George James in the Jan
uary Vermonter under the title, "a
Forceful Vermont Industry"
Mr.. James is a resident of Hard
wick and has been connected with
the Woodbury. Granite company,
the largest granite cutting plant in
the world, as book keeper for sew
eral years. His position has given
him an intimate knowledge of the
granite industry and his treatment
of the subject 10 as comprehensive
as is possible in an article of this
length.
He calls attention to the fact that
Hardwick's finishing shops have
manufactured granite for four state
capitol buildings, those of Pennsyl-
vania, Kentucky, Iowa and Idaho.
Also that the four hundred thou
sand cubic feet of finished Wood
bury gray granite in the Pennsyl-
vania capitol were quarried, cut,
carved, delivered and set by a
Hardwick company in twenty two
months, this accomplishment stand
ing as the worlds record for the
rapid delivery of finished building
work.
We are reminded that from Hard
wick came the first widely known
traed marked granite. Bashaw
granite, which, with Woodbury. gray
and Hardwick white, is becoming
known throughout the country.
The history of the company and its
marvellous growth are briefly review
ed, the fact being pointed out that in
the past FIVE years over four hundred
thousand dollars have been expended
in derricks, machinery overhead
cranes, and the latest improved stone
working tools.
A brief resume of the work for
1910 shows that the Hardwick
plant furnished stone for twenty
four Office buildings, fourteen post
Offices eighteen banks, three city
halls, one state capitol, two hospi-
tails, one stock exchange, and a
score of lesser constructions. The
most important OF the buildings
Chicago city hall and Cook county
court house, is ten stories in height
and 1850 feet around the base
Thirty-six Corinthian columns form
the upper walls. each seventy-fivC
feet long, nine feet four inches il
diameter built in FIVE foot courses
The carved capitals surmountini
them are fifteen feet wide in front
twelve feet eight inches high anC
stand $50 feet above the street level
They are the largest CorinthiaI
capitals in the world, each represent
ing years work by a skilled carver
The entire stone exterior is Wood
bury gray granite cut in Hardwick.
We are reminded that the compan.
not only quarries, cuts, carves and d,
livers its stone to any part OF tn
country, but It's own erecting gang
and equipment are ready TO set tn
granite in place In the building.
Mr.. James we'll says that 1T
no small thing to have reared a bus
ness OF over one and one half millio
dollars annually in a village that a
teen years ago was a quiet rurs
community. 1t is a symbol OF wha
can be done in Vermont, when con
bined with our great natural resou
ces in the spirit OF modern industril
enterprise and that quality Of min
that makes for efficiency and pr
gress and the never to be out wor
element OF human pluck and persi
tency."
The article is embelllshed wit
FIVE full page Illustrations shown
views OF the company's plant
Hardwick, the Pennsylvania stat
capitol, city hall and Cook count
court house In Chicago. wisconsI
state capitol, the exterior Of whlC
is being constructed OF "HardwiC
white" granite. Nine smaller pi
lures showing views OF the quarrle
portraits Of John s. Holden, la
president Of the company, Charl,
W. Leonard, founder and preslder
also several pictures showing G
pecially fine pieces OF workmansh
in the carving dono in vormo
granite for Cook county court hou
and Chicago city hall.-Hardwlck @
zette.