Granite Industry in Llano County
Llano, Llano County, Texas
Marker Inscription
GRANITE INDUSTRY IN LLANO COUNTY Throughout Llano County, large granite outcrops exist. The first granite quarry in Llano County opened in 1888 on the Llano River. When the railroad arrived in 1892, the demand for granite rapidly increased. Italian immigrant Vincenzo Fantozzi Petrick came to Llano County established a quarry and provided stone for use in Texas’ coastal jetties. When Buchanan Dam was completed, men and materials were diverted to the war effort and work at Petrick’s quarry declined. Llano’s granite can be seen in the state capitol, the University of Texas at Austin, the federal building in Kansas City, Missouri, and in many monuments across Texas. Quarries owned by Petrick contributed to Llano County’s success. (2014)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The great granite outcrops of Llano County drew their first quarry in 1888, and when the railroad arrived in 1892 the demand for the pink-and-gray stone soared. Among the quarrymen was Italian immigrant Vincenzo Fantozzi Petrick, whose stone armored Texas coastal jetties and joined the granite shipped to build capitols, universities, and monuments. Llano granite still faces the Texas State Capitol and buildings from Austin to Kansas City.
Why it matters
The quarries tie a small Hill Country county to the monumental public architecture of a growing nation, and to the immigrant labor that cut the stone.
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Related people
- · Vincenzo Fantozzi Petrick
Related events
- · Arrival of the railroad (1892)
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Ford Street Commercial Row
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Frank Teich
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