TN Marble History

The Tennessee Marble industry was established by the late 1830’s in Hawkins County, when this distinctive stone was shipped to Washington D.C. for the construction of the United States Capitol building. Around 1850, Tennessee Marble was discovered in Knox and Blount Counties, where, with greater access to rail, the stone industry took off.

Although metamorphosis has occurred to a degree like marble, Tennessee Marble has some sedimentary characteristics similar to limestone. Because it has high density, low porosity, brilliant depth of color, and takes a high polish, practitioners in the architecture and building community have always referred to this stone as Tennessee Marble. Because it is durable, versatile, abundant, and is full of beautiful warm hues,Tennessee Pink Marble was used extensively for wall coverings, floors, counters, elevators, and memorials throughout our nation’s capitol city. Among those buildings are the National Gallery of Art, the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials, the National Cathedral, the Newseum, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and most recently, the U.S. Capitol Visitors’ Center.

Across the Nation, you will find Tennessee Pink Marble, along with many other Tennessee stone varieties, in many significant historic buildings in every major city. Tennessee marble is a dense, durable, distinctive, water-resistant stone available in earth tone colors of Light and Dark Rose, Cedar, and Quaker Gray. Tennessee marble was utilized throughout the Knoxville Region as a common building material on homes, churches, schools, and other buildings during the late 1800’s and early-to-mid 1900’s. Not as common today, however Tennessee Marble is still a go to stone for builders looking for authenticity, permanence, and beauty.

We celebrate the cultural impact that Tennessee Marble has had on our region with our continued dedication to providing fine quarried Tennessee Marble to the world.