Fire Destroys Old Georgia Marble Plant

Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services is investigating a fire that destroyed the old Georgia Marble Plant early Wednesday morning.

The agency, along with Canton Fire Department and Pickens County Fire and Rescue, responded to a call around 5:30 a.m. at the plant located on Blue Ridge Avenue.

Firefighters arrived on the scene to find smoke coming from the old building, which was used for years by the Georgia Marble Company. The building sits adjacent to the Georgia Northeastern railroad tracks and behind Nelson City Hall.

As firefighters made entry, they discovered flames inside the structure, which forced them to determine the best way to reach the fire.

Once they gained access, firefighters were able to get the fire under control within 40 minutes, Cavender said.

The building, which is no longer in use, did not have a roof, so firefighters used a ladder truck to extinguish any hot spots inside the building.

During the heyday of the marble industry, this plant was home to about 50 Italian families that were brought to Nelson by the Georgia Marble Company “because of their skilled craftsmanship in marble carving and sculpting,” Cavender said.

They worked to craft some of the most widely recognized structures in America and throughout the world.

No injuries were reported in the blaze.

(Photo credit: Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services)