(Photo by Calvin Shepherd - Use By Permission)
Alderson West Virginia - A History
Stone Quarries
One
of
the
first
large
quarries
in
the
Alderson
section
was
a
brownstone
quarry
on
Griffith's
creek.
All
of
the
stone
was
shipped,
and
no
local
building
is
known
to
have
used
brown
stone.
The
business
was
known
as
Alderson
Brownstone
Company
and
was
owned
by
Virginia
interests.
William
Housby
was
manager.
There
are
large
quantities
oil,
the
high
grade
brownstone,
which
for
years
was
a
fashionable
building
material
in
the
East,
on
Griffith's
Creek.
The
company
had
at
narrow
gauge
railroad
to
the
Greenbrier
where
it
had
a
ferry
across
the
river
and
loaded
stone
on
the
C.
&,
O.
freight cars. The company operated for many years and went out of business about 1904.
During
the
past
twenty
five
years
there
have
been
several
small
quarries
which
have
been
operated
on
the
top
of
Muddy
Creek
Mountain.
They
have
quarried
a
beautiful,
decorative
sandstone
known
as
Alderson
Stone,
Greenbrier
Stone
or
Muddy
Creek
Mountain
Stone.
The
first
quarry
was
opened
by
J.
Wesley
Hanger
probably
about
1935.
One
or
two
others
quarried
for
a
time.
Now
but
one
quarry
operates;
it
is
owned
by
Howard
Fields
who
started it in 1945. It is known as Fields’ Stone Quarry. Fields lives in Alderson in a home on Maple Avenue completely built of his stone.
This
unusual
sandstone
lies
in
a
stratum
about
eight
feet
thick,
divided
in
about
twenty-five
layers
of
stone
of
varying
thickness
and
colors.
They
are
light
pink,
tan,
of
various
pastels.
Because
the
stone
is
of
such
variety
of
hues
and
thicknesses,
decorative
masonry
work
made
of
it
indoors
or
out,
is
very
attractive.
Mr.
Fields
has
a
hydraulic
press
which
cuts
the
stone
in
pieces
four
inches
wide
of
various
lengths.
He
ships
by
truck
to
his
customers
over a wide area. The stone costs $35 per ton at the quarry. Mr. Fields has never advertised.
The
quantity
of
the
stone
on
Muddy
Creek
Mountain
or
on
Flat
Top
Mountain
has
not
been
estimated.
Although
Mr.
Fields
had
some
core
drills
made,
he was not able to estimate his reserve. He employs four or five men.
Near Alderson there are several stratum of various kinds, shades and hues of stone not being quarried. Some of it may have commercial possibilities.
Ref: History of Summers County, Miller, 1908 Howard Fields.
The contents contained in this series is copyrighted and the sole property of The Greenbrier Historical Society - Lewisburg, WV Used by permission - November 18, 2008
Main Index
The History of Alderson, West Virginia
From The Journal Of The Greenbrier Historical Society On Alderson, West Virginia
Written by Kenneth D. Swope - Compiled and Transcribed by Barry Worrell
