Granite Hill Plantation, Quarry No. 2, South side of State Route 16, 1.3 miles northeast east of Sparta, Sparta

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER GA-156-B. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Granite Hill Plantation historically consisted of acres amassed by Andrew Jackson Lane, a wealthy Hancock County planter. The plantation was one of the largest in the county, and is associated with both the antebellum agricultural reform movement and early granite quarrying. This quarry is one of four on the former Granite Hill Plantation site that were put into use as early as to provide building materials throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and these early quarrying techniques are evident at the site. Description: Quarry No. 2 consists of at least three shallow quarry pits and several granite dressing areas located on a large granite outcrop. The outcropping is irregularly shaped and measures approximately x oriented on a north to south axis.

The quarry pits measure about 60' across in each direction, with one forming a shallow pool, while the others are Much of the central area of the outcropping is covered with various sizes of granite, ranging from small flakes to large blocks, and appear to be work areas were cut granite pieces were dressed to size. Between the two dry quarrying areas on the southwestern edge of the site are two rows of parallel bore holes, approximately 2" in diameter. Just to the north of this location is a series of smaller drill holes, some with three-part wedges inserted. The alignment of the drill holes and wedges suggests an attempt at removing a slab of granite from the quarry face.

History: As evidenced by Granite Hill and numerous other residences in the vicinity, Sparta granite deposits were used locally to construct foundations and chimneys throughout the nineteenth century. After the Civil War, small local quarries were established to provide crushed gravel for construction of the rail bed for the Macon and Augusta Railroad. When the Macon and Augusta was completed in the railroad, in turn, allowed quarried granite to be more readily and economically transported to other markets. In W. B. Lee assumed management of one of the local Sparta quarries; he later supervised construction of a granite cotton gin near the Granite Hill railroad station.

In Lee purchased acres of the old Granite Hill plantation from the Middle Georgia Land and Immigration Company to establish a commercial quarry. Lee subsequently leased the property to the Georgia Quincy Granite Company in On a visit that same year to the Granite Hill quarry, the State geologists from the Geological Survey of Georgia noted that the property had eight acres of granite outcrops. They further noted that the quarry extended over about three acres and that the "first raise" was being undertaken during the writer's visit. A large working force was observed, with most of the stone being worked into Belgian blocks and curbing for street use. A half mile railroad spur, or "side-track" was built from the quarry to the Macon and GRANITE HILL PLANTATION, Quarry No. 2 HAER No.

GA-156-B (page 2) Augusta line. The granite curbing and paving stone was principally shipped to both Macon, Georgia and Tampa, Florida.

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER GA-156-B. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

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