What’s the story behind Bethel’s famous white granite?

Bethel, Vermont is home to a rare geological treasure: a brilliant granite that’s often described as the whitest in the world. The stone has been quarried there for generations and sent as far as Paris and Abu Dhabi. Two local residents want to know: Why is this stone found in Bethel, of all places? And is it found anywhere else?

Thanks to Bennett Law and Owen Daniel-McCarter for the great questions. Click here for photos and a full episode transcript.

For more on granite in Vermont, here are some suggested resources:

• Vermont Stones/Italian Bones (2016) by Bill Johansen, published by the Bethel Historical Society
• A three-part series about the Woodbury Granite Company by Paul Wood in The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association, 2021
• “How has the geology of Vermont affected its character?” (Brave Little State, 2017)
• “Meet Giuliano Cecchinelli, Barre's last Italian stone carver” (Vermont Public, 2023)

This episode was reported by Sabine Poux. Editing and production from the rest of the BLS team: That’s Burgess Brown and Josh Crane. Our intern is Sarah Bokelberg. Our executive producer is Angela Evancie. Theme music by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions.

Special thanks to Gail Wiese, Timothy Rath, Laurie Grigg and Denise Guilmette.

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Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.