Crossville, Tennessee, located on the Cumberland Plateau, has a rich history of stone quarrying and masonry. For much of the twentieth century, this mountainous area was dotted with small, independent stone yards, and many families in the region passed down from generation to generation a tradition of craftsmanship, as they harvested and milled the vast deposits of sandstone popularly known as Crab Orchard Stone.
The swirled brown and gray stone made its way to all parts of the country to be used as dimensional building stone, for paving, and perhaps most popularly, as decorative fireplace surrounds and mantles. Sadly, many of these independent operations have dwindled over the years, giving way to larger corporations, while the residents found other lines of work or moved away in search of more lucrative job opportunities.
Rocky Ridge Stone Company, however, while a relatively new operation, is determined to preserve the Crossville region's heritage in the stone industry while also keeping abreast of technological innovations. The company, which has been in operation for the past five years, is co-owned by Patrick Garrison and Johnny Presley whose grandfather Clarence Davis started operations at what is now Rocky Ridge's central quarry in the 1930s and continued in the business through the 1990s. Davis, who laid stone at the Governor's Mansion in Nashville and supplied stone from his quarry for various federal buildings in Washington, DC and for the Sarazen Bridge at the Augusta National Golf Club, would no doubt be surprised and pleased by the changes that have come about at Rocky Ridge.
Johnny Presley, while watching huge slabs of stone being scooped out of the quarry, laughs and says, "My grandfather's idea of quarrying was a hammer and chisel, and maybe a forklift." Although Rocky Ridge still, on occasion, uses such old fashioned techniques as feather and wedge for some of the larger blocks, the company is committed to maximizing its yield with advanced methods, all the while maintaining an admirable respect for the environment, an attitude that has led to Rocky Ridge's output being labeled as green approved products and, therefore, eligible for tax credits when used in construction.
Patrick Garrison points to vast piles of raw stone lying at the edge of the quarry located off Peavine Road and notes that much of it dates from the days of Johnny's grandfather. "At the time," he says, "that was all overburden, but now with new equipment, we can use one hundred percent of the quarry's yield. If you sort it, stack it, and keep it, you'll find a use for it." This might mean turning it into gravel to be sold locally for landscaping and road projects, into a crushed aggregate suitable for waterfront use, or into tumbled veneer and rough cut stone for building facades.
Even though Rocky Ridge is still a small company with limited manpower, equipment such as Abaco slab lifters and a computerized Gantry saw with a six foot blade allow them to make the most of their resources. "We can take large capstones and turn them into mantles and pool surrounds just by programming the saw," and such efficiency is one way to stay ahead of larger competitors. Patrick observes that he and his crew "try to keep enough stone quarried to fill orders quickly because now people are so used to the Internet that they want it immediately."
There is also, of course, the personal touch that sets Rocky Ridge apart. While the company has done such high profile projects as Trace Adkins' outdoor kitchen, featured on DIY's Indoors Out, and the Asheville, North Carolina airport, Rocky Ridge is equally concerned with making sure that everyone who wants stone in their home or business gets the best possible quality product and the best possible customer service.
Additional Photos Supplied Courtesy Rocky Ridge Stone Company and Heather Garrison
Clients are always welcome to meet with Patrick or with Anne Dover, who handles orders for the company, and tour the quarry and select stone first hand. Their perspective and experience will help guide the homeowners because, as Anne says, "It's hard to imagine looking at the stone in the quarry how much it will be transformed by the time it's fabricated and sealed."
This personal touch extends to the fabricators onsite and to those from other stone yards who buy from Rocky Ridge. Calvin "Pee Wee" Dannel claims to have been working in the stone industry since the time he was big enough to pick up a rock, and is thrilled to have an opportunity to continue in his family's footsteps at Rocky Ridge. These second and third generation masons add what no amount of state-of-the-art equipment can provide, the expertise and knowledge that have been handed down over the years.
Patrick recognizes that craftsmen like Pee Wee are now the exception and wants to change that dynamic. "We're losing a lot of masons," he says. "And as an industry, we need to work on that. All the yards that we sell to, we help educate on fabrication." This approach has led to what might be called mini-seminars at the quarry. Patrick notes that "We have a hunting lodge nearby, so we can put people up there, then bring them over to the quarry and work with them there." Patrick Garrison and Johnny Presley are also constantly looking for new ventures, and most recently have purchased two quarries in Jamestown, Tennessee noted for their deposits of bluestone. This stone, similar to Pennsylvania bluestone, is excellent for fabrication because of its consistent thickness and its ease of cutting. While these additions will add further variety to the products that Rocky Ridge can offer, the expansion is also keeping alive the area's stone heritage. Jeff Clayborn, a third generation stone worker there, has stayed on under the new ownership to manage operations.
Ecologically responsible, innovative, and with a healthy respect and understanding for the traditional methods of quarrying and the people who have made stone their life, Rocky Ridge offers an unbeatable combination.
More information about Rocky Ridge Stone Company may be found by visiting its official website http://rockyridgestoneco.com or by calling 931-484-7158.
Rocky Ridge offers a wide variety of stone products, including a bluestone from their Jamestown quarry that Patrick Garrison recommends to fabricators as also great for countertops.
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