How the Georgia Guidestones became a target for conspiracy theorists

Melissa Fendley Caruso's late father, the former owner of Elberton Granite Finishing Co. in Elberton, Georgia, has completed countless projects. But there's one project Joe Fendley finished that changed her family's lives forever.

"There's been all kinds of conspiracy theories," she said. "I just never imagined it would garner so much attention."

In 1979, Joe Fendley was commissioned to build the Georgia Guidestones, a monument to "the age of reason." For four decades, the strange structure has fascinated tourists. But on July 6, Elbert County removed the granite slabs after an unknown individual detonated a bomb on the site, badly damaging the monument.

Earlier: After destruction of the Georgia Guidestones, there is talk of rebuilding Elbert monument

And: Georgia Guidestones site in Elbert County demolished after bombing damaged the monument

This "act of domestic terrorism," as Northern Circuit District Attorney Parks White is calling it, came after protracted political outcry against the Guidestones from the far right. In recent years, media personalities and politicians have been calling for its destruction, alleging that the monument is tied to Satanism, depopulation and abortion. Though the movement is relatively new, its roots can be traced back to the Georgia Guidestones' beginnings.

Mysterious origins

Previously: GBI continues to seek leads into bombing of Georgia Guidestones

'Domestic terrorism': DA vows to pursue felony charges in Georgia Guidestones bombing

When the monument was unveiled in 1980, locals didn't know what to make of it.

The Guidestones stood more than 19 feet tall, bearing esoteric, multilingual instructions for surviving a post-apocalyptic world. Its imposing design and mysterious origins soon made the Guidestones a tourist attraction, drawing numerous visitors a year to Elbert County.

Some were just curious onlookers. Others claimed spiritual connections to the monument: Pagans, Wiccans and yes, self-professed Satanists. Caruso recalled one year when a witch and a warlock held their wedding there.

"But I doubt they had supernatural powers," she joked. "They didn't even know they weren't gonna stay married. They got divorced!"

Caruso, a lifelong resident of Elbert County, never had strong feelings about the monument. To her, the Guidestones represented little more than a business opportunity for her father, who she called "a hell of a salesman and a phenomenal marketer," and for his hometown, which soon saw a demand for tourism and hospitality.

"They're just rocks," she said. "It was a tourist attraction."

'It's a war between good and evil'

Not everyone saw it that way.

Starting in the early 2000s, conspiracy theorists took grave interest in the Georgia Guidestones. Online manifestos spread the word about the supposed Satanic origins of the monument.

In 2008, graffiti appeared on the monument reading "Death to the New World Order." Documentary filmmakers became a common sight at the Guidestones. This included eminent conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who during a 2020 visit called the site "the birthplace of the modern depopulation movement."

The hysteria crested in 2022, when gubernatorial candidate Kandiss Taylor made the removal of the Guidestones central to her campaign platform. In an ad, Taylor linked the monument to human sacrifice and abortion rights.

"The new world order is here," she narrated over a shot of her looking at the Guidestones. "It’s a battle far greater than what we see in the natural. It is a war between good and evil."

Todd Powell-Williams, a sociology professor at Augusta State University, was struck by the similarities of this conspiracy theory to the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. He pointed out that Taylor, whose campaign slogan is "Jesus Guns Babies," played on fears about child safety.

"[In the 1980s] you had all of these narratives going on concurrently about children being under threat," he said. "If we weren't going to be kidnapped by just some random weirdo, it was probably going to be a Satanist who was going to use us for ritual sacrifice."

Though the motives for the bombing remain unclear, Taylor addressed the attack in a Tweet on July 6.

"God is God all by Himself. He can do ANYTHING He wants to do. That includes striking down Satanic Guidestones," she wrote.

"I can't believe a gubernatorial candidate would even say such a thing," said Caruso.

'It was a terroristic act'

The bombing came as a shock to Elberton residents. 

"I just never thought I would see an act of terrorism in my little town," Caruso said. "Because that's what it was. It was a terroristic act."

"You can say, 'Well, they just bombed a piece of granite, like who cares?'" Powell-Williams said. "But it is alarming that somebody took these stories seriously enough, through their own subjective lens, that they were motivated to conduct the bombing."

Far-right conspiracy theorists are not solely concerned with the Georgia Guidestones. They allege plenty of other links to depopulation and children's safety. Taylor, for example, also advocates for a moratorium on state abortion funding and a "groomer ban," which would outlaw discussion of LGBTQ+ topics in public schools. What remains to be seen is whether conspiracy theorists will be emboldened by this bombing.

"I wouldn't put anything outside of the realm of possibility in this country where the ability to carry out really horrific violence is pretty democratized," said Powell-Williams.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia Guidestones bombing comes after far right conspiracy theories