A two-day trip through the countryside of Indiana led to meeting many dedicated people in the stone industry who are devoted to the harvesting, cutting, carving and restoring of Indiana limestone, which has been used for many historic projects for centuries
Stretching approximately 30 miles long and 10 miles wide, the Indiana limestone belt can be found along the green pastures of Indiana. The limestone quarried from areas of this narrow band, which was discovered in 1827 and runs through Owen, Monroe and Lawrence counties, is recognized on many notable architectural landmarks and prominent buildings across the country, including the Empire State Building in New York City; the National Cathedral and Pentagon in Washington, DC, and more recently, the new Yankees Stadium in The Bronx, NY. The material was also extensively used to reconstruct buildings that were lost in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
Recently, Stone World had the opportunity to tour this region, which remains a viable source of limestone. The quarries and mills that we visited were busy with activity – many working on multiple projects, including some high-profile ones. Each company that we stopped at along our route was welcoming and had their own story to tell. While some are small operations still only relying on planers and Old World handcraftsmanship to create their products, others operate on a larger scale and combine artisan skills with modern technology. No matter what the size or method of production, there is one shared common denominator among all of the stone producers and fabricators – a passion for carving Indiana limestone and continuing its reputation as a premium, sustainable, building material.