Marble has played an important role in the cultural history and identity of Knoxville, TN. In fact, it was dubbed “The Marble City” beginning in the 1880s. Tennessee Marble, or more accurately crystalline limestone, is not only on display in architecture in Knoxville but also in countless noteworthy buildings and monuments across the United States. Some of the most renowned include the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C and the New York Public Library’s famous stone lions sculpted by Edward Clark Potter.
This quarry was known as the Bond Quarry and produced an attractive pink marble called “Bond Pink.” The marble companies that were associated with this site include the Appalachian Marble Company and Tennessee Producers Marble Company. The mining process was extraordinarily impressive as blocks of marble were unearthed with the utilization of steam powered drills, cranes, and hand tools. Once the blocks were extracted they were then trammed to the banks of the Tennessee river where they were loaded onto barges and floated up river to Knoxville. From there the blocks were loaded onto vehicles and taken to the company’s mill for the final process that included cutting and polishing.
On behalf of all of us at The Quarry we would like to invite you to come enjoy a little piece of Marble City’s history. We would be honored for you to consider hosting your event at The Quarry and allow us to share this historic and picturesque location with you and your guests.
