History of North Barre Granite

<body bgcolor="#20b2aa"> <center> <font size="5"><b>History</b></font> <p><img height="294" width="388" src="../Images/h01.jpg"></p> <p><font size="4"><b>View of a Granite Shed in the late 1800's</b></font></p> </center> <p>North Barre Granite, Inc. was established in 1895 by Baptist Lucchina, a native of Milan, Italy. In 1896 he consolidated with the firm of Davidson and Duncan. In 1900 Mr. Lucchina and Alexander Duncan of Aberseenshire, Scotland became sole proprietors of North Barre Granite, Inc.</p> <center> <p><img height="275" width="380" src="../Images/h02.jpg"></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Granite Blocks on Rail Cars</b></font></p> </center> <div align="left"> <p>In the early 1900s grandfather Auguste Chatot came with his brother Emile to Barre where they worked in several sheds before starting the Chatot Brother's Granite Company, which did not survive the war years. Like so many others during that time, grandfather Auguste became a victim of silicosis, leaving his three sons, Jules, Emile, and Paul to carry on the family legacy.</p> <p>It is this legacy coupled with a loyal and highly-skilled crew that has given North Barre Granite it's continued success.</p> </div> <center> <p><img height="275" width="362" src="../Images/h03.jpg"></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Granite Workers at the Turn of the Century</b></font></p> <p><img height="275" width="385" src="../Images/h04.jpg"></p> <p><font size="4"><b>A View of the Quarries from the Turn of the Century</b></font></p> </center> <div align="left"> <p>Workers pose in front of the quarry from the late 1800's or early 1900's.</p> </div> <center> <p><img height="275" width="438" src="../Images/h05.jpg"></p> <p><font size="4"><b>A View of Main Street in Barre from the 1800's</b></font></p> </center> <div align="left"> <p>For over a century, Barre, Vermont has been the place where sculptors and artiists from all over the world have come to work with the famed Barre granite.</p> </div> <center> <p><img height="275" width="425" src="../Images/h06.jpg"></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Granite Workers With Their Families</b></font></p> </center> <div align="left"> <p>Another view of the granite workers in the late 1800's.</p> </div> <center> <p><img height="275" width="168" src="../Images/h07.jpg"></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Cover of Granite Estimates Book - 1903</b></font></p> <p><img height="203" width="275" src="../Images/h08b.jpg"></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Page Excerpt from the 1903 Granite Estimates Book</b></font></p> <p><img height="275" width="425" src="../Images/h09.jpg"></p> <p><font size="4"><b>The North Barre Granite Building in 1905</b></font></p> </center> <div align="left"> <p>In 1902 North Barre Granite founders Baptist Lucchina and Alexander Duncan built the existing building and equipped it with up-to-date appliances for monumental manufacturing. They employed 25 men and specialized in statuary and carving work.</p> </div> <center> <p><img height="275" width="196" src="../Images/h10.jpg"></p> <p><font size="4"><b>North Barre Granite Monument Design - 1905</b></font></p> <p><img height="275" width="210" src="../Images/h11.jpg"></p> <p><font size="4"><b>North Barre Granite Monument Design - 1905</b></font></p> <p><img height="285" width="574" src="../Images/h12b.jpg"></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Page Excerpt From the 1920 Granite Estimates Book</b></font></p> <p><img height="246" width="518" src="../Images/h13b.jpg"></p> <p><img height="172" width="536" src="../Images/h14c.jpg"></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Pages From the 1920 Granite Estimates Book</b></font></p> <p><img height="204" width="213" src="../Images/h15.jpg"></p> <p><font size="4"><b>North Barre Granite Work Crew - 1950's</b></font></p> </center> <div align="left"> <p>North Barre Granite remained in the Lucchina family until 1944 when it was purchased by Almo Cerasoli and Dante Calevro. They continued to use a portion of the building for their own monument business while renting the remaining portion to other manufacturing firms and sandblast companies.</p> </div> <center> <p><img height="237" width="157" src="../Images/h16.jpg"></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Jules Chatot and John Leppanen 50 Years Ago in 1949</b></font></p> </center> <div align="left"> <p>In 1946 Jules Chatot and John Leppanen purchased North Barre Granite which at that time was nothing more than a shell of a building with a broken-down crane and a compressor that didn't work. They began immediately manufacturing memorials with the help of one other employee. Through perserverance and hard work they built North Barre into a prospering plant.</p> </div> <center> <p><img height="265" width="431" src="../Images/h17.jpg"></p> <p><font size="4"><b>North Barre Granite Monument Design in 1953</b></font></p> </center> <div align="left"> <p>This design (Number 106 A) had a copyright in 1953 and is called "Immaculate Conception."</p> </div> <center> <p><img height="294" width="336" src="../Images/chatot.jpg"></p> <p><font size="4"><b>Officers of North Barre Granite</b></font></p> </center> <div align="left"> <p>Left to right: Charles Chatot, President of North Barre Granite Company; Michael Ornitz; Judee Chatot, Vice President and Jules Chatot, Founder of the firm.</p> </div> <center> <p></p> </center> <center> <p></center> </body>