This page contains everything you might want to know about Dodds. Established in 1864 by Scottish immigrants George and Andrew Dodds, Dodds Memorials has a rich history not only in Southwest Ohio, but also across America. The George and Sons Granite Company as it was originally known, grew to be one of the largest memorial companies in the country during the late 1800’s early 1900’s and continues to be the oldest continuing business in Greene County.
George Dodds came to America when he was 17 years old to assist his brother Andrew who worked at a marble company in Indiana. He soon became an expert marble cutter and the two brothers left Indiana to start their own company in Yellow Springs, Ohio. In 1864, they moved to Xenia and started a granite company under the name A&G Dodds Granite Company. Around this time, Andrew went to visit Scotland and sent back a large amount of Scottish granite, making them the first to import granite west of New York City.
The company continued to grow and incorporated in 1911. They also acquired three granite quarries in New England. The Victoria White Granite Company in Keene, New Hampshire; the Milford Pink granite quarry in Massachusetts and the Stony Creek granite quarry in Connecticut. They expanded the retail business, opening offices in Chicago, New York, Xenia, Boston, St. Louis and Indianapolis.
As his sons grew older, they became interested in the family business, many of the Dodds locations were managed by one of George Dodds’ six sons. In 1914 George passed and was placed on the family plot at Woodland Cemetery in Xenia Ohio. His sons took over the company and continued to expand.
During this time the company was sought after for their quality granite and expertise in construction, to help with numerous projects across the country. Some of the most well-known projects include the William McKinley memorial façade in Canton, Ohio and the First Division Monument in Washington DC. They also worked with many notable figures in history on personal mausoleums such as the Ball family of Ball canning Jar. C.W. Post of post cereal and Alfred Ringling of the Ringling brother’s circus. Many local figures contracted the Dodds family to construct private estate buildings for them. They include the George Harper family, the Carew Family, the Earnshaw family and the Proctor family.
Today the company is owned by Eric and Becky Fogarty, who purchased the company from the Bone family in 1984. It is still family owned and operated with 6 locations here locally in southwest Ohio. We have come a long way and now have a state-of-the-art engraving shop, which includes two modern sandblast booths for engraving, a shape carving booth, and a modern laser engraving machine. These components allow Dodds to be one of the only full-service production facilities in the area. The company also maintains a small fleet of setting trucks which allow Dodds to install most memorials utilizing our dedicated setting team. We are making strides to become more innovative but stay true to our craftsmanship roots.
We are proud of the legacy we leave behind not only by creating so many historical memorials, but also by designing memorials for those families still today that trust us with their lasting visions of love.