Did you know that Sylacauga, Ala., was once home to what was likely (hopefully?) the world’s only service station made of tombstones? Yep. It was even featured in the Ripley’s Believe It or Not newspaper feature.

Called the Marble Castle, the building was constructed from discarded veterans’ headstones carved from Sylacauga’s pristine white marble.

According to Ruth Cook’s book “Magic in Stone: The Story of Sylacauga Marble,” the building was constructed ca. 1940 by Sylacauga banker L.L. Smith.

(Note: Research turned up several conflicting dates about when this building was constructed and when it changed hands. I tried to determine which dates made the most sense and linked the sources. If you see misinformation, email [email protected]).

Historian Bettye Lessley explained on the website for B.B. Comer Memorial Library, “Prior to 1940 many of the men who were employed by the local marble quarries were making marble markers for the graves of America’s soldiers. These markers were to be a certain size, and they had to meet specifications. They had to be perfect. However, sometimes a stone would be chipped and could not be used as a tombstone. Although these stones, plus the footstones were made of the finest Alabama marble, they were put aside, and the pile of rejected markers grew larger.”

The building was “a very beautiful but expensive-looking filling station … probably the only one like it in the world,” Lessley said. At varying times, the building housed a café as well as the service station.

For many years, Lessley said, tourists driving through Sylacauga stopped at the Castle for snacks, oil, gas or a new tire, making it the perfect “advertisement for Sylacauga marble.”

Ray and Nell Dobson bought the Marble Castle Service Station in 1957, according to Nell Dobson’s obituary.

After the Dobsons, the Marble Castle was owned by John Merchant, who tore down the water-damaged second floor of the building that had been used as living quarters.

The Sylacauga City Council granted Merchant a license to sell beer at the business in 1974.

A Jan. 8, 1976, article in The Birmingham News announced that Merchant was attempting to sell the castle so he could retire. He apparently was unable to sell it and the building was later torn down. There were no records stating when the building was demolished.