The business that became Champlain Monuments can be traced back to the 1880s, when W.M. Barrett Marble and Granite Works operated from 48 Federal Street in St. Albans, at the foot of Kingman Street near the railroad. That location made deliveries from Barre and Proctor practical, and the shop remained active through the turn of the century and well beyond.
Many of the memorials produced in those early years still stand in cemeteries across the region today.
After William Barrett died in 1942, the business continued under other ownership, including a long stretch as Champlain Memorials under George Buckley through the 1960s. In 1973, the company was purchased by James B. Pignona.
Jeff B. Pignona took over soon after and established the Champlain Monuments known today. From the mid 1970s through 2000, he operated from the same Federal Street building that had housed the business for generations before him. In 2000, Champlain Monuments moved to its current location at 848 Sheldon Road in St. Albans, with more space for display, fabrication, and the day-to-day work of the shop.
Over the following decades, Jeff B. built the company's standing across Northern Vermont through work that was set properly, held up over time, and became familiar in cemeteries throughout the region.
In 2019, Jeff R. Pignona purchased the business. By that point he'd spent much of his career in the trade — working alongside Jeff B. and also building and running his own monument companies along the way. He took over Champlain Monuments with the same long view of the work. Today, he runs it with his sons, Jeffrey and Sawyer.
