Local Documentary on Westerly granite, "Carved From Stone: Legacy of a Granite Town" Screening at Westerly Library

WESTERLY – The new documentary Carved From Stone: Legacy of a Granite Town will be screened at Westerly Library on Tuesday, January 13th, at 6 p.m.

From the granite quarries of Westerly, Rhode Island, to the Battlefield of Gettysburg National Military Park to New York City’s largest cemetery - Westerly granite has stood the test of time. The strength of the stone and the people who worked it is brought to life in this new documentary Carved From Stone: Legacy of a Granite Town from Weathervane Communications and Ocean State Video.

Working in a quarry was very demanding work. Hundreds of people worked at quarrying the heavy stone or working in a dust-filled cutting shed, blacksmithing the tools or perfecting the intricacies of granite carving. Men came from across Europe to work in the once booming granite industry. Carved From Stone: Legacy of a Granite Town begins in 1845 when Orlando Smith discovered a granite outcropping on the old Babcock farm in Westerly and progresses through the heyday of the granite industry. Isaac G. Smith, great-grandson of Orlando Smith, discusses how the industry shaped his family history and that of the community he has lived in for more than ninety years.

Written and produced by Betty-Jo Cugini, with Director of photography and editor Jim Karpeichik, Carved From Stone is based on the book Built From Stone: The Westerly Granite Story. The film chronicles the processes, products, people, and legacy of the industry in Westerly, Rhode Island. Rare archival footage of men working in the quarry is woven through stories told by Master Carver Richard Comolli and those who have direct ties to the industry. Viewers will also get a rare glimpse of how a 42-ton piece of stone became a lasting monument to the rich and famous.

The Babcock-Smith House Museum and Granite Repository is located in Westerly, Rhode Island. The Georgian Mansion (circa 1734) is the former home to the Babcock and Smith families and is open to the public.

Programs at the library are free, open to the public, and handicapped accessible.