[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 57 (Tuesday, May 1, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E692-E693]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CONGRATULATIONS TO GRANITE QUARRY ON ITS 100TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HOWARD COBLE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 1, 2001

  Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, this month, a second town in the Sixth 
District of North Carolina will celebrate its centennial. Ironically, 
this town is in the same county as another small municipality in our 
district to reach the century mark this year. Earlier, we celebrated 
the 100th birthday of Landis, North Carolina. Now, it is time to turn 
our attention to another Rowan County town as it marks 100 years of 
official existence.
  On May 19, 2001, the town of Granite Quarry will celebrate its 
centennial, and on behalf of the entire Sixth District of North 
Carolina, we honor the first 100 years of Granite Quarry and look 
forward to the town's bright future. While Granite Quarry is officially 
100 this year, the history of the town is more than two centuries old. 
Granite Quarry began in 1766 when Michael Braun (Brown) moved to the 
area from Pennsylvania. He constructed what became known as the Old 
Stone House of native hand-hewn granite. (The house has been restored 
by Rowan Museum, Inc., and is recognized as the oldest German dwelling 
in North Carolina.)
  The town was known as Woodville in the late 1800s, and by 1891, when 
the first post office was established, it was under the name of 
Woodsides. The second name was for a family of Woodsides who lived in 
the community. On March 7, 1901, the North Carolina General Assembly 
officially changed the name to Woodsides. When the town was first 
incorporated, five families lived in the town. Jerry L. Shuping was the 
first mayor and William Lefler, L.H. Kluttz, Rufus B. Peeler and Alfred 
L. Peeler were the first aldermen. These family names remain fixtures 
in Rowan County today.
  Shortly after incorporation, it was discovered that there was another 
Woodsides in North Carolina, resulting in confusion for mail and 
freight deliveries. While the post office name was changed to Granite 
Quarry in 1902, it wasn't until February 5, 1905, that the General 
Assembly approved the new name of Granite Quarry to recognize and 
highlight the stone quarried there. The quarries were already 
attracting attention years earlier as they developed along the newly 
completed Yadkin Railway and more and more people moved into the area 
to work the quarries.
  Quarrying was begun by the eccentric J.T. Wyatt who was later known 
as a local newspaper columnist with the fascinating sobriquet of 
``Venus of Faith.'' Wyatt began his digging at the site of the Balfour 
Quarry. The demand for paving stones and later, Durax blocks, kept the 
town full of workers. Durax blocks, four by four pieces of stone laid 
in circles on city streets, can still be seen in the nearby town of 
Salisbury on Depot Street in front of the Southern Railway Station. 
Curbing stones quarried in Granite Quarry can be found in cities all 
over the United States.
  Large scale quarrying began in 1906 when the Whitney Company was 
selected to provide the stone for a granite dam on the Yadkin River in 
Stanly County. Whitney contracted with the Gillespie Company to operate 
the Rowan County quarry. Hundreds of Italian laborers and English 
stonecutters were brought to Granite Quarry to work in the mines. Stone 
cutting was an art that few people in the United States knew, making it 
necessary to import workers. The dam lost almost $20 million and when 
the Whitney Company went into bankruptcy, the Gillespie Company ceased 
operations. Nearly all of the foreign workers left except for a few of 
the English stonecutters who had little difficulty in finding 
employment at other quarries. The waters of Badin Lake today cover the 
granite darn, but when the water level is lowered, the dam can still be 
seen in its watery grave.
  When the Whitney project failed, the town was hit by a depression, 
and Granite Quarry became a ghost town. It was saved from a permanent 
death in the 1920s when the state became a pioneer in the construction 
of public roads. The demand for crushed stone for paving was 
tremendous. That demand, when added to the normal output for curbing, 
paving blocks, ornamental stone, and memorial work, pushed production 
to new records. It would last for several decades. The quarrying 
industry has declined in recent years because of rising labor costs and 
the increasing use of concrete in buildings and road construction, but 
today, Granite Quarry does not survive on stones alone.
  The future for Granite Quarry is bright. The Rowan County town of 
almost 3,000 people is a bedroom community for nearby larger 
jurisdictions, but it still boasts of more than 30 businesses including 
restaurants, doctors' offices and service stations. It is proud of its 
paid police department of a dozen full-time and part-time officers. 
Granite Quarry has one of the largest volunteer fire departments for a 
town of its size with more than 30 members. The Granite Quarry Civic 
Park stands as a testament to the hard work and dedication of the 
people who live there. From 1968-1973, civic groups, churches, 
government and business leaders joined forces to construct the park 
that is still enjoyed by the residents of Granite Quarry today.
  While other towns may have grown larger and still others may have 
become better known, the people of Granite Quarry will tell

[[Page E693]]

you they cannot think of a better place to call home. On behalf of the 
citizens of the Sixth District of North Carolina, we congratulate 
Granite Quarry on its first 100 years. We look forward with much 
anticipation to what the future holds for this outstanding Rowan County 
community.

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