Proclaiming itself to be the “Granite Capital of the World”, the city of Elberton, Georgia, produces more granite monuments than any other city. Landmarks near and afar have been constructed using granite quarried in the region, but that was just one of the reasons the city was chosen as the location for the Georgia Guidestones. The monument is a local mystery that contains a set of ten guidelines that have attracted the interest of audiences from all over the region and country.
A Message to Mankind
As recounted on a marker at the site, the story of the Georgia Guidestones began in 1979 when a person who identified themselves as “Mr. Christian” approached the President of the Elberton Granite Finishing Company to build a monument that would contain stones larger than any that had been quarried in the county. Representing the Guidestones Group, which wished to remain anonymous forever, Georgia had been selected as the location for the monument because of its excellent granite and mild climate.
After working through details around payment and logistics, work began on a structure that would display a 10-part message in 8 languages to serve as a message to mankind. The message is designed to focus attention on problems central to the present quandary of humanity. The same message is displayed on each stone face of the monument in English, Spanish, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, Traditional Chinese, and Russian. The message says to:
- 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.
- Be not a cancer on the Earth — Leave room for nature — Leave room for nature.
Each of the four sides of the capstones also contains a statement of cautionary guidance to humankind translated into Babylonian Cuneiform, Classical Greek, Sanskrit and Egyptian Hieroglyphics. The message says, “Let These Be Guidestone to Reason”.
“Mr. Christian” donated the Georgia Guidestones monument as well as the land it sits on to Elbert County shortly after it was unveiled in 1980. Doing so created an attraction for Elberton that audiences continue to engage with in multiple ways.
Experiencing the Mystery
There are multiple ways for audiences to engage with the monument seeing as how it functions as a compass, calendar, clock and archive. The central column of the monument has a slot carved through it that is aligned with the Sun’s solstices and equinoxes. The North Star is always visible thought a special hole drilled from the South to the North side of the central stone. The capstone includes a calendar of a sort where a beam of sunlight passes through a drilled 7/8-inch hole at noon and shines on the South face of the central stone.
Sitting at the highest point in Elbert County, the Georgia Guidestones are oriented to track the sun’s east-west migration year-round. The six-part monument consists of four granite megaliths set in a paddlewheel arrangement around a central stone, which is surmounted by a flat capstone. At over 19 feet in height, the entire piece weighs nearly 250,000 pounds.
These figures are detailed on the ground markers near the monument, which also contains a buried time capsule. This marker also contains instructions about where more info can be found at the Elberton Granite Museum and Exhibit, which features exciting historical exhibits, artifacts and educational displays. Attracting thousands of visitors every year, the Georgia Guidestones have been able to further highlight this important element of the community.
These experiences are in addition to what it means to view what was described as the most challenging project in the history of Elbert County. The model and specifications of the Georgia Guidestones resemble the inner-portion of England’s Stonehenge, which has defied the forces of nature and time. The materials utilized in the Georgia Guidestones are set to allow it to do the same, enabling audiences to view the monument in a context that goes beyond the present moment.
The merits of the instructions laid out on the Georgia Guidestones have been debated ever since the monument was dedicated, all of which have compelled interest that has enabled the Georgia Guidestones to become an important part of maps, guides and tours of the area. While some believe the Georgia Guidestones are the work of a secret society and are thus the subject of many different conspiracy theories, such interpretations merely add to the intrigue that ensures audiences will be attracted to Elbert County for generations.
Conveying Ideas Across Time
Little is known about “R.C. Christian” while the true intention of the Guidestones Group continues to be debated. Regardless of these facts or how the message on the Georgia Guidestones are interpreted, the monument highlights what it can mean to create a landmark that sparks the interest of audiences in and across multiple eras.
Like other unconventional monuments that have created a legacy for their area, the Georgia Guidestones highlight what it can look like to utilize landmarks to convey ideas across time to other human beings. Such concepts have proven to be as powerful as they are long-lasting.
