Here is a feature article from the Fall, 2005 Issue

Georgia Guidestones rival mystery of Stonehenge

By Jennifer Whittaker

The Georgia Guidestones have lured many tourists to Elberton since their mysterious installation on an Elbert County hill in 1980.
People call the Georgia Guidestones “America’s Stonehenge” because of the arrangement of the stones and the enigma of the message inscribed on the granite slabs in eight languages.
Rising just more than 19 feet from the highest point in the county, the guidestones keep a solitary vigil over a pasture next to a fairly quiet highway. Bobwhites nestled in the grass provide a melodic soundtrack to contemplate the mystery of the guidestones.

“It draws a lot of folks,” said Hudson Cone with the Elberton Granite Association, Inc. “The phenomenon of how the word has spread around the world about the guidestones is amazing.”

The guidestones were built by the Elberton Granite Finishing Company, Inc., at the request of an anonymous man who only identified himself as Mr. Christian. According to the official history provided by the Elberton Granite Museum, the stranger approached Joe H. Fendley, Sr., on behalf of a small group of Americans living outside Georgia who wanted to build a monument to the conservation of mankind and the earth. Wyatt C. Martin, then president of the Granite City Bank, served as the intermediary for the project. The stranger said Georgia was selected because of the availability of excellent granite, generally mild climate and the fact that his great-grandmother was a native Georgian.

A dedication monument that lies just west of the guidestones explains the astronomic features of the guidestones and urges visitors to “Let these be guidestones to an age of reason”. The ten recommendations of the guidestones are: Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature; Guide reproduction wisely-improving fitness and diversity; Unite humanity with a living new language; Rule passion-faith-tradition-and all things with tempered reason; Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts; Let all nations rule internally, resolving external disputes in a world court; Avoid petty laws and useless officials; Balance personal rights with social duties; Prize truth-beauty-love-seeking harmony with the infinite; and Be not a cancer on the earth-leave room for nature-leave room for nature.

A trip to the guidestones isn’t complete without stopping by the Elberton Granite Museum at One Granite Plaza. Here, visitors can learn more about the industry that has made Elberton the “Granite Capital of the World”. As you drive through town, see if you can count the number of granite monuments and signs, not including tombstones. Make time to stop by the Granite Bowl made of more than 100,000 tons of granite that’s the home of Elbert County’s Blue Devil Football team.

Editor’s note: The Georgia Guidestones are located 7.2 miles north of Elberton on Highway 77. They are 1.3 miles south of the Hart-Elbert County line and 7.8 miles south of Hartwell. The Granite Museum is usually open from 2-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Call (706)283-2551 to get the schedule for an exact date.