This page discusses the materials that the monuments at Gettysburg are constructed of.
Granite is an igneous rock. Most of the monuments at Gettysburg are constructed of granite. Granite is prized for being beautiful, very durable, and also plentiful. Some of the specific kinds of granite used to construct the monuments at Gettysburg include:
Barre Granite. Barre granite comes from Barre, Vermont. It is a characteristic shade of gray usually with a hint of white in its grain, and is prized for its color and beauty. It is the most popular granite used for constructing monuments. An example of a monument constructed of Barre Granite at Gettysburg is that of the 19th Indiana Infantry. This granite also comes in a white color, as seen on the monument to the 6th New Jersey Infantry. Many Civil War monuments at other battlefield parks, especially Chickamauga-Chattanooga, are made of Barre granite.
Westerly Granite. Westerly granite comes from Westerly, Rhode Island. Westerly granite comes in red, gray, and blue colors and was extremely popular beginning around 1855. The monument to the 9th Michigan Artillery Battery is one of many Gettysburg monuments constructed of Westerly Granite. The 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry monument is constructed of blue Westerly granite. The main fabricator using Westerly granite on the battlefield was the Smith Granite Company, founded in 1845 in Westerly. The Smith Granite company constructed at least 63 monuments of the battlefield.
Quincy Granite. Quincy granite comes from Quincy, Massachusetts. An example of a monument constructed of Quincy Granite at Gettysburg is that of the 104th New York Infantry. The main firm that used Quincy granite on the Gettysburg battlefield was Frederick and Field, established in 1839.
Other Granite Types … Other kinds of granite on the battlefield include Concord granite (several Ohio examples including the 82nd Ohio), red granite (particularly popular on Wisconsin monuments including the 7th Wisconsin), Hallowell granite (several Maine examples including Stevens Maine Battery on Stevens Knoll), Mount Airy Granite (base of the Virginia Monument), etc.
Gettysburg itself was a source of granite used to make flank markers and monuments. There were granite quarries located near Willoughby Run and around Devil’s Den.
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. Many monuments at Gettysburg are made of bronze or have bronze elements.
Sandstone / Limestone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains. Sandstones tend to be easy to work with, but are especially subject to weathering.
Only a small handful of monuments at Gettysburg consist of sandstone, including the monument to the 93rd Pennsylvania on Munshowser’s Knoll and the monument to the 55th Ohio Infantry near the entrance to the National Cemetery Annex.
Limestone is another sedimentary rock. Limestone is very common in architecture, and many landmarks across the world, including the Great Pyramid in Egypt, are made of limestone. Limestone is a soft stone, however, and like sandstone it does not particularly weather well over time. An example of a limestone monument at Gettysburg is that of the 14th Indiana regiment.
Marble is a metamorphic rock. White marble has been prized for its use in sculptures since classical times, mainly due to being soft and easy to work with. Unfortunately as is the case with limestone and sandstone, the softness of marble leaves it vulnerable to the elements and weathering. The memorial to Company F, Vermont Sharpshooters is an example of a large, all marble monument at Gettysburg.
Sometimes called “white bronze,” the monument to the 4th Ohio was made of zinc. It took only four weeks for the GBMA to ban the use of “white bronze” as a monument material — and they did it on the mere appearance of the 4th Ohio Monument.