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Guidestones To an Age of Reason  More photos are located here. Amidst the rolling pasture land and lines of pine in the northeast corner of Georgia stands an enigma--a 19 foot tall megalithic structure overlooking the quiet countryside like a gray sentinel. Only a handful of people know who designed this massive structure, and they aren't talking. Like other large stone monuments such as England's Stonehenge, controversy surrounds the Georgia Guidestones--are they a celestial temple, a sacrificial altar, or simply a monument to conservation? However, unlike the silence cloaking its prehistoric counterparts, the towering granite of the Georgia Guidestones speaks its own story, for carved into the faces of the stones are ten simple guides urging the preservation of the planet on which we live. The mystery of the Georgia Guidestones began late on a Friday afternoon in June of 1979, when a well-dressed stranger, identifying himself only as Mr. Christian, walked into the Elberton Granite Finishing Company's offices on Tate Street, and inquired of the firm's President Joe H. Fendley, Sr. as to the cost of building a large monument to conservation. Fendley explained to the man that the company normally worked on a wholesale basis, and did not deal directly with individuals, but the stranger persisted. He told Fendley that he represented a small group of Americans who wished to remain anonymous. He outlined a plan for a monument in granite, which intrigued Fendley enough that he put Mr. Christian in touch with both of the local banks. According to Wyatt C. Martin, President of the Granite City Bank, the stranger showed up at his office 30 minutes later introducing himself as R.C. Christian. The man repeated his proposal, and suggested that Martin be the intermediary for the project. Being a bank president, Mr. Martin insisted that Mr. Christian reveal his real identity so that Martin could verify his ability to finance the project. When Martin was satisfied that everything was on the level, he agreed to carry it out, and pledged never to reveal Mr. R.C. Christian's true identity. Mr. Christian told Martin that he and his sponsors selected Georgia as the location for the monument because of the availability of high quality granite, the mild climate, and the fact that his great-grandmother was a native Georgian. He also emphasized that the monument should be erected in a remote area, away from the main tourist centers. Martin suggested that, to work within the funds available, a local site should be selected because of the cost of transporting the massive stones Christian had in mind. The men spent a day inspecting various sites, and finally selected a five acre plot on the farm of Mildred and Wayne Mullenix. The plot also happens to be the highest point in Elbert county. A few weeks later, Joe Fendley began work on the monument. The stones were quarried from the company's Pyramid Blue Granite, and Fendley claimed that the sheer size of the stones, as well as the exacting specifications set forth by the sponsors made the project one of the most challenging ever for his company. He suggested that "those specifications were so precise that they had to be compiled by experts on stone as well as construction." In 1980 the stones were erected. Once the project was completed, Wyatt Martin delivered his file on the affair to the anonymous sponsors and that the secret of their identity was sealed. In accordance with Mr. Christian's wishes, the Guidestones are located in one of the least touristy parts of the state. Elberton's one claim to fame is the title "Granite Capitol of the World," and aside from the rather tranquil scenery, there isn't much to be found in the area. However, because of their proximity to a state highway, the Guidestones are easy to access--about a hundred yards to the east of Georgia Highway 77, 7.2 miles North of Elberton, and 7.8 miles South of Hartwell. The only sign for the stones is a rather small, green affair just at the turn in, but if you keep your eyes open on the east side of the road, you can't miss them. While the ground under the Guidestones may be the highest spot in the county, it's in no danger of being mistaken for a mountain. It's actually a gentle rise in the general landscape with a view of a close horizon all the way around. The Guidestones are situated in a fenced off section of a pasture, so along with a view of sloping green fields walled in by stands of pine and oak, you may be treated to a close encounter with a few cattle. Don't worry though, they're on the other side of the barbed wire, and are more interested in chewing their cud than bothering visitors. Next to the Guidestones lies a flat granite slab inscribed with the technical data on the stones--height, weight, and different languages carved into them. It also bears an inscription indicating that a time capsule was to be buried under the spot, but includes no dates, so it's a safe guess that a capsule was never placed there. Visitors have made comparisons between the Guidestones and other megalithic structures. Some have gone so far as to call them America's Stonehenge. In reality, this title belongs more appropriately to Sam Hill's exact replica of Stonehenge in Washington. While the Guidestones do convey a sense of stately endurance similar to Stonehenge, they have none of the ancient aura possessed by Britain's megalith. Rather, the Guidestones express youth and openness--something still growing, rather than something in decay. Indeed, R.C. Christian said that after completion, he hoped other conservation-minded groups would erect even more stones in an outer ring and carry the monument's message in more languages. The slender center stone, which the builders call the Gnomen, towers between four wider uprights topped with a capstone that just touches the corners of the four outer stones. These outer slabs are the ones actually carved with the guides, and point out from the Gnomen like spokes in an X shape. The individual letters of the guides are four inches tall, and about a half inch deep, and thus easy to read all the way to the top. The ten guides are translated into eight different languages--English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Hebrew, Swahili, and Hindi--one language on each side of the outer stones. R.C. Christian said that he and the sponsors spent years planning the
monument, and the ten guides for the conservation of humankind and the
earth were a carefully worded, moralistic appeal to all people, regardless
of national, religious, or political borders. The English version of the
guides are:
Controversies have blazed around the stones since their erection in 1980. The pastor of a local church warned that the stones would lead to blood sacrifices on the spot where they stood. Some people view the guides as a mandate for mass extermination of a majority of the world's population, and the establishment of an Orwellian control of the planet by one governing body. Others view the Guidestones as evidence of some occult force bent on destroying the Judeo-Christian beliefs held by many Americans. In truth, Pagan groups have held ceremonies at the Guidestones--weddings and celebrations of the solstices and equinoxes--but nothing involving blood sacrifice, and so far, no single government has taken control of the planet. Regardless, the stones still maintain their quiet vigil, ambivalent to the religious and political beliefs of the people who come to see them. Likely, they will continue to stand long after the quarrels we find so important today are mere footnotes in the history text of some student in the distant future. Statistical Information on the Georgia Guidestones Overall Height: 19 feet 3 inches Four Upright Stones: Gnomen: Cap Stone: 6ft 6in wide, 9ft 8in long; 1ft 7in thick, Weight 24, 832 lbs Outer Support Stones (bases): 7ft 4in long; 2ft 0in wide; 1ft 4in thick Weight 4,875 lbs each on average. Center Support Stone: 4ft 21/2in long; 2ft 2in wide; 1ft;7in thick Weight 2,707 lbs Other Web Sites Discussing the Georgia Guidestones THE LUCKY MOJO ESOTERIC ARCHIVE entry on the Georgia Guidestones Ellie Crystal's entry on the Georgia Guidestones Radio Liberty takes a darker view of the purpose of the Guidestones
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