“B” is for Blue granite

“B” is for Blue granite. State stone. Blue granite was designated the state stone by law in 1969.  The state is famed for Winnsboro blue granite, which was quarried for many years in Fairfield County. The stone is of light blue color and contains particles of mica, feldspar, and quartz. It is much prized in construction and decoration. The Winnsboro Granite Company quarried and shipped the “beautiful blue” for many years and the stone acquired national renown as “the silk of the trade.” It has been used in such structures as New York City’s Flat- Iron Building and the old Charleston Post Office. After Winnsboro blue was no longer quarried in South Carolina, stocks still remained in the state. The Fairfield blue granite won a medal and diploma at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893.