South Mills

The three mills on the southern end of primary West Rutland deposit, the old Finishing Shop, and their supporting buildings all were once a part of the Sheldon Marble Co. and played an important role in the final steps of the marble quarrying process before pieces were shipped out via railroad.

To learn more about the functions that occur at these mills, see At The Mill.

Sheldon and Slason

The Sheldon Marble Company had its start in 1844 with the development of its West Rutland quarry by David Morgan Jr. and company. In 1850, Charles Sheldon, his brothers, and Morgan under the name Sheldons, Morgan, and Company. They were succeeded by the name Sheldons, Morgan and Slason with the partnership of Charles Slason in 1856, followed by Sheldons and Slason upon David Morgan’s retirement. Charles Slason retired in 1881 and the firm became Sheldon and Sons before being finally renamed the Sheldon Marble Co. in 1888.

The Sheldon Marble Co. property was leased to the Vermont Marble Co. for thirty years, during which time Fred Patch left the Vermont Marble Co. in Proctor to become superintendent. When the Vermont Marble Co.'s lease eventually led to their purchase of the property in 1891, Patch left to begin his marble machinery manufacturing company.

Old Mill

The Old Mill was built around 1869 and was renewed at some point with a stone exterior. The roof was tar and gravel and the stonework was 20" thick. In 1892, this mill contained 22 gangs with old style wooden gang sides and mostly cast iron head blocks.

Palace Mill

The Palace Mill was made of marble walls and had a roof that was tar and gravel. In 1892, it contained 20 gangs; 12 with wooden sides and iron head blocks and 8 with iron pipe sides and iron head blocks. 12 of the gangs were "hand fed" while 8 were fed by sand pumps. The mill burned between 1910 and 1922, with only the northern part salvaged.

Side Mill

The Side Mill was made of marble walls and had a roof that was part slate. In 1892, the mill contained 24 gangs with wooden gang sides and iron head blocks. Each gang could hold 8 blades.

Bridges connecting Old Mill with Side Mill and Palace Mill

Evidence Today

Much of the West Rutland site today features varying degrees of evidence of each of its prior structures, especially in the years since trees have regrown in the area. Though essentially no evidence exists on site of the Old Mill and Palace Mill, portions of the walls of the Side mill remain intact, including outlines of doorways and archways through which material used to travel. No evidence remains beyond historic maps of any of the wooden structures on this end of the site.

Side Mill footprint in 1910 Sanborn Map

Ruins of northwest corner of Side Mill (Puckhaber 2025)

Store House

The Finishing Shop's footprint possesses a greater amount of evidence than the Old Mill and Palace Mill, though all that remains are stone blocks that used to make up the foundation of the structure and general material strewn throughout the wooded site. The store house just south of the Finishing Shop is all but identifiable today as the Carving Studio and Sculpture Center's sculpture trail cuts right through where its footprint once was, though some portions of its corners and walls can be seen on either side of the path.

Finishing Shop and Store House (1906)

Store house on 1910 Sanborn map

Finishing shop wooden storage house (1891-1892)

Finishing shop (1891-1892)

References

"General Condition of the Sheldon Marble Co.'s Property as leased by the Vermont Marble Co. 1892." Vermont Marble Co. Carving Studio and Sculpture Center, West Rutland, VT.

Georeferenced imagery. Google Earth. "Aerial Imagery." Color imagery, 2025. Google. 2025.

Miglorie, Catherine. Vermont’s Marble Industry. Arcadia Publishing, 2013.

Non-georeferenced imagery. Vermont Imagery. "1962 Aerial Imagery." Black and white imagery, 2019. Vermont Center for Geographic Information. 2025. https://vcgi.vermont.gov/data-release/1962-aerial-imagery-now-available-statewide-non-georeferenced.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from West Rutland, Rutland County, Vermont. Sanborn Map Company, Aug, 1910. Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn08959_001/.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from West Rutland, Rutland County, Vermont. Sanborn Map Company, Jan, 1922. Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn08959_002/.

State Plane. Vermont Imagery. "VT 1974-1992." Black and white imagery, 1974-1992. Vermont Open Geodata Portal. 2025. https://geodata.vermont.gov/pages/imagery?_gl=1*i137yy*_ga*NjU1NjE1MDQ4LjE3NDY5OTMwMDQ.*_ga_V9WQH77KLW*czE3NTMzNzUxODUkbzMxJGcxJHQxNzUzMzc1MjQ4JGo1OCRsMCRoMA.

State Plane. Vermont Imagery. "VT 1994-2000." Black and white imagery, 1994-2000. Vermont Open Geodata Portal. 2025. https://geodata.vermont.gov/pages/imagery?_gl=1*i137yy*_ga*NjU1NjE1MDQ4LjE3NDY5OTMwMDQ.*_ga_V9WQH77KLW*czE3NTMzNzUxODUkbzMxJGcxJHQxNzUzMzc1MjQ4JGo1OCRsMCRoMA.

Vermont Marble Company - Its Past and Future. Proctor, VT: Vermont Marble Co., 1920. Proctoriana Collection. Vermont Historical Society Leahy Library, Barre, VT.

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