Rock of Ages history

The hymn book, titled ‘Sacred Songs & Solos and New Hymns & Solos, 888 Pieces’ was published in 1898 and is believed to be one of the first ever compiled hymnals.

He developed an interest in the granite industry as a result of various projects that brought him to Barre, leading him to combine his resources with James Boutwell and George Milne to form Boutwell, Milne & Varnum in 1905.

BMV published a small pamphlet with the picture of a monument praising the quality of Rock of Ages granite and changed the company's name to Rock of Ages Corporation in 1925.

1930: Rock of Ages launches a growth-by-acquisition strategy and begins to manufacture granite.

Through the 1940--86 acquisition of four other quarries in Barre, Rock of Ages created a five-quarry complex considered to be the largest granite quarry in the world.

1955--97: Expansion and Reorganizations

In 1957 the Bethel, Vermont-based quarry was reactivated to provide the white stone popular as building material in Western Europe and highly prized by architects.

1969: Nortek, Inc. acquires Rock of Ages.

According to Nortek's 1975 Annual Report, Rock of Ages 'was particularly proud of the unique 27- by 30-foot bas-relief granite sculpture completed for installation on the facade of the giant Libby Dam in Montana.'

1984: Nortek sells Rock of Ages to Swenson Granite Company.

By 1991, Rock of Ages was the only granite quarrier in Barre and had purchased an interest in 14 Canadian quarries, a granite manufacturing plant in Quebec, and 14 granite quarries in the state of Georgia.

In June 1997, Rock of Ages entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Childs & Childs Granite Co., the second-largest manufacturer of granite memorials in Georgia.

Rock of Ages reported fiscal 1998 as an outstanding year: net sales rose to $82.75 million and net income to $7.24 million.