Winnsboro Blue Granite Quarry

Though images of the kincaid anderson quarry located in winnsboro present a peaceful scene this was once the site of fairfield county s busiest industry.

Winnsboro blue granite quarry.

Often referred to as winnsboro blue granite or simply winnsboro blue this light blue or gray colored stone was quarried in fairfield county between 1883 and 1946. Interestingly nearly a quarter century after the quarry closed blue granite was named south. The properties with the exception of greenbrier school are grouped into two complexes the anderson quarry phillips granite works and the rion granite quarry brooks granite company. Blue granite was named south carolina s state stone in 1969.

Granite is an igneous stone meaning that it was formed when magma or molten rock was trapped beneath the surface of the earth. The state rock of south carolina is the winnsboro blue granite. Often referred to as winnsboro blue granite or simply winnsboro blue this light blue or gray colored stone was quarried in fairfield county between 1883 and 1946. This sprawling school building of blue granite was built in winnsboro around 1941.

However the darker minerals in the rock exhibit a blue hue when polished. United states granite quarry you can find many granite quarries and buy cheap granite blocks slabs and tiles from quarry owner. The quarry was operated by the winnsboro granite co which provided building materials for many of the nation s most elaborate structures including the flat iron building in new york and the land title and trust building in philadelphia. Rockton and rion railroad historic district is a national historic district located near winnsboro fairfield county south carolina the district encompasses 40 contributing buildings 6 contributing structures and 2 contributing objects associated with the quarrying finishing and transporting of winnsboro blue granite.

The winnsboro granite company formed in the 1880s and sold locally quarried blue granite all over the country. The blue granite mine which closed in 1986 exported stone to cities all along the east coast. Most of the buildings and structures in the historic district were constructed of winnsboro blue granite with the majority constructed from the late 1920s to the. The winnsboro granite company quarried and shipped the beautiful blue for many years and the stone acquired national renown as the silk of the trade it has been used in such structures as new york city s flat iron building the old charleston post office and the great dry dock of the charleston naval shipyard.

The stone referred to as the silk of the trade was used to build such notable landmarks as the flatiron building in new. The south carolina state stone winnsboro blue granite is unique to the midlands and the piedmont region of our state where granite can be found in abundance.