Simply "Marbleous" (The Country's Oldest Marble Quarry)

Have you ever taken a drive with a particular destination in mind and something along the way turns out to be even better than the place you were headed?   That's exactly what happened the first time we stumbled on this wonderous and beautiful place.

The Dorset Marble Quarry, located on Route 30 in Dorset, Vt is the oldest commercial quarry in the country. Opened by Isaac Underhill in 1785, the marble from this quarry was used in some pretty famous buildings, such as the New York Public Library, The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the library at Brown University, just to name a few. 

The quarry stayed in the Underhill family for three generations, and although mining in Dorset has ended, remnants of the work done here are quite numerous.  Interesting note:  Isaac Underhill is the great grandfather of Bill W. - co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.  Bill W. was born in Dorset, VT. 

Since our first accidental visit to the quarry in autumn of 2012, we've returned several times and I can tell you the quarry is beautiful in every season.

This summer when we visited, we were surprised to find we weren't the only visitors..........the place was swimming with visitors (pun intended) of all ages and levels of courage.  I was definitely not there to dive or swim, but I was not alone spectating either.  This is a popular swimming hole.

 Sometimes what you think is your destination isn't and something even better is just waiting to be discovered.  Keep your eyes open and if you're lucky, destiny might just bring you to someplace magical!

Post Script:  The Dorset Marble Quarry is a privately owned piece of property.  As of September 2016, the owners who'd kept the quarry open for many years so that visitors from all over the country could enjoy this beautiful venue, were seeking to have the village of Dorset purchase the quarry for $1.  The reason.....the quarry has gotten so popular the owner this year had to increase the size of the parking lot, charge a $15 parking fee and install porta-potties.  In case you were wondering...the State of VT has a law which keeps the quarry owners liable for any injuries or accidents that happen on quarry property.  Today before visiting the quarry to swim, the owners require visitors to register online and be advised there are no lifeguards and swimmers swim at their own risk.

  To watch the news story about the property and meet the quarry owner:

http://news10.com/2016/09/14/quarry-quandry-keeping-a-hidden-gem-a-shining-jewel/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorset,_Vermont

http://www.dorsetvthistory.org/history.html

For more stories about Vermont, check out my blog Directory under the Destination-Vermont category.

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