Made in the USA: The Georgia Marble Company

Since we’re located in New England, we talk a lot about Vermont Quarries and the impeccable marble that is sourced right here in our back yard. But travel south and you’ll find another choice of fine marble, which we also offer here at Marble & Granite, Inc.. 

In 1884, Samuel Tate founded the Georgia Marble Company. The company’s mines contained some of the best quality marble, and almost every type of marble found in the U.S. Tate leased out the land for others to use the plentiful supply of marble. Every variety, in just about every size, was extracted and transported by railroad. 

The town of Tate, GA grew up around the quarry. As the village’s largest employer, Georgian Marble Company provided housing, recreational facilities, and schools for workers and their families. Construction of a power plant made Tate the first electrified town in the area. 

In 1905, Tate partnered with Earl Mayes Caldwell and the two quickly grew the business—that is, until concrete began replacing marble in buildings. 

In 1946, the nearby Etowah River in neighboring Cherokee County reached a depth of 26.7 feet and flooded the county, including the Georgia Marble Company plant. By 1969, business was failing.  The company was purchased by Jim Walter Corporation. It changed hands several times and was finally acquired by Polycor in 2003. 

In the south, Georgia Marble Company stone is about as well-known as sweet tea. In fact, once a year, the public is allowed to tour the largest open pit marble quarries in the world during the Annual Georgia Marble Festival. 
 
Georgia Marble has been mined for decades and has been used to create historic architecture around the world, including the Lincoln Memorial, twenty-four columns on the east front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, The National Air and Space Museum, the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art, the Federal Reserve Bank in Cleveland, and the Buckingham Fountain in Chicago. 

Today, the two most popular marbles to come from this area, Pearl Grey and Cherokee White, are well-respected around the world. 
Pearl Grey features vast veins with varying shades of gray meandering throughout classic white. The effect creates a subtle, yet captivating effect. 
 
And Cherokee White Marble is characterized by a soft blend of shimmering white crystals, gently brushed with subdued light grey veining that softly skims across the surface, offering timeless brilliance. 

If you’d like to see samples from the Georgia Marble Quarry without trekking down south, stop by any of our three Northeastern showroom locations. Give us a call at 877-39-STONE.