Showing posts with label quarry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quarry. Show all posts

Monday, August 6, 2012

Rock Rimmon: Another sandstone quarrry


Recently, in the Chesapeake Bay Journal, Dr. Kent Mountford wrote an article for its July/ 
August edition entitled “Aquia Freestone: the backbone of our capital’s majestic architecture.”

He talked about another Stafford quarry called Rock Rimmon.  Located south of Government Island on Aquia Creek’s eastern shore, it produced sandstone when more stone was needed for the U.S. Capitol in 1804. The quarry closed, but years later reopened in 1925 and was renamed the George Washington Stone Corporation. 

The picture shown here is of workers in 1929.  It was given to me by Wilbur Segar whose father was the foreman, the tall gentleman in the back row.  Notice the quarrying machinery in the background.  This method was much different from the hand quarrying method used on Government Island.    

Jane C., historian

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

THE book for those interested in Govt. Island

For those who wish to gain more information about Government Island, both its science, but especially its history, then the book Birthstone of the White House and Capitol by Jane Hollenbeck Conner, is an excellent resource. Conner is local historian who was a key component in saving the island from development. She has done vast amounts of research on the topic, even including lists of other buildings that are composed of Aquia sandstone that could even have been quarried from Government Island.

Cover picture on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Birthstone-White-Capitol-Hollenbeck-Conner/dp/1578643368/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343140750&sr=8-1&keywords=Birthstone+of+the+White+House+and+the+Capitol