Georgia Guidestones
The Georgia Guidestones was a granite monument that stood in Elbert County, Georgia, United States, from 1980 to 2022. It was 19 feet 3 inches (5.87 m) tall and made from six granite slabs weighing a total of 237,746 pounds (107,840 kg). The structure was sometimes referred to as an "American Stonehenge". The monument's creators believed that there was going to be an upcoming social, nuclear, or economic calamity and they wanted the monument to serve as a guide for humanity in the world which would exist after it. Controversial from its time of construction, it ultimately became the subject of conspiracy theories which alleged that it was connected to Satanism.
Georgia Guidestones in 2020 | |
| 34.23206°N 82.89440°W | |
| Location | Elbert County, Georgia, US |
|---|---|
| Material | Granite |
| Height | 19 ft 3 in (5.87 m) |
| Opening date | March 22, 1980 |
| Dismantled date | July 6, 2022 |
On the morning of July 6, 2022, the guidestones were heavily damaged in a bombing from a vandal, and the debris and guidestones were removed by the local government later that day. In late July, Elberton Mayor Daniel Graves announced plans to rebuild the monument. However, on August 8, the Elbert County Board of Commissioners voted to donate the remains of the monument to the Elberton Granite Association and return the 5 acres (2 ha) of land on which the monument was erected to its previous owner.