Lee's economy has historically been based on paper and marble. Paper making began in 1806, and by the Civil War Lee produced more paper than anywhere else in the U.S. In 1867, the Smith Paper Company manufactured the first wood pulp paper in America for use as newsprint. High quality Lee marble was used as a construction material in the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., Saint Patrick's Cathedral, and the Boston Public Library, among others. Both industries still exist today.