8 January 2023 - A FORMER ROMAN QUARRY in GERMANY

 

A FORMER 

ROMAN QUARRY

 in GERMANY

G'day folks,

This natural "sea of stones" was once used by the Romans as a quarry.  

Despite often looking like a scree slope of very large stones, this Felsenmeer (or Blockfield) has a unique history.

These stones did not come from the mountain but were generated by a weathering process that occurred below the ground. As the surface began to erode, these massive rocks were exposed. The most popular theory behind their creation is that they are the result of frost weathering, however, it has also been suggested that subsurface chemical weathering played a role. This Felsenmeer is one of the most gorgeous in Germany. It’s part of the Geo-Nature Park Bergstrasse- Odenwald, just south of Darmstadt.

 

After being exposed, the rocks were significantly modified by glaciation processes around 10,000 years ago. This occurred across several Ice Ages and gave the rocks their round shape. 

Romans occupied this part of Germany during the 3rd and 4th-century CE. There is evidence of stone masonry across the rocks when they utilized the Felsenmeer as a quarry.

A number of both naturally formed and modified stones have been given specific names such as the”Altar Stone” and the amazing, yet very natural, “Crocodile.” A major attraction at the site is a massive column intended for a Roman temple but, for some reason, was never removed from the site.

This amazing natural phenomenon is located in a lovely wooded glade on the slopes of a hill known as Feldberg.

29 April 2020 - KAISER QUARRY RUINS IN CALIFORNIA

 KAISER QUARRY RUINS 

IN CALIFORNIA

G'day folks,

Once again, I've found another business that has been overtaken by a forest. An abandoned car and strange wooden debris are among the scattered remains of the old sand and gravel quarry. 

Visitors to the Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve know it for its staggering geological history, incredible views, and the famous Mazzariello Labyrinth at the peak of Round Top Trail.

But not many know that the preserve was once used as a Kaiser Sand and Gravel quarry, during the boring of the Caldecott Tunnel between 1929 and 1937. The Mazzariello Labyrinth itself is located in an old quarry, which is why the earth around it is exposed.

In 1936, the quarry was transformed into one of the first three East Bay Regional Parks, Round Top Park. It remained as Round Top Park (named after Round Top peak, formed by volcanic debris) until 1958, when it was renamed Sibley Regional Volcanic Preserve in honor of Robert Sibley, one of the founders of the parks.

Today, a few scattered artifacts recall a time when the area was a bustling quarry. An abandoned 1971 Opel 1900 Sedan is gnawed away by the elements, likely the ruin of a tumble off the old quarry road years after it had been out of use. The road was later converted into a trail and some bits of the old concrete can still be made out as you walk the path.

Further down the trail is a type of wooden stable structure of uncertain origin, along with industrial debris including pipes, tin roofing, barrels, chairs, bits of ceramic and glass, and the remnants of past structures. There are also some spookier finds at the site, including pillows and stacked cow bones. Perhaps a werewolf curls up here at night?

Clancy's comment: Another place to visit with my camera.

I'm ...

 

8 April 2020 - ABANDONED RUINS OF THE SENECA QUARRY

ABANDONED RUINS OF 

THE SENECA QUARRY

G'day folks,

This ruined quarry once produced the distinctive red sandstone used for construction projects in Washington, D.C. 

 

The ruins of Seneca Quarry sit along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal on the north bank of the Potomac River, about 20 miles upriver from Washington, D.C. In its heyday, the quarry was a bustling site that produced the distinctive rust-red sandstone used in many buildings in the United States capital. Today, however, it sits in the midst of dense forest, covered in undergrowth and easily missed by people hiking and biking along the nearby canal.

 

The history of the quarry dates back to 1781, when the land was purchased by Robert Peter. Over the following decades, the Peter family developed the red sandstone and marble quarries along the bank of the Potomac.

With the construction of the C&O Canal (built in part using stone from the quarry), the fortunes of the Peter family skyrocketed. The heavy sandstone could now reach the Washington, D.C. market via the canal, opening up some lucrative contracts. These included providing the red sandstone for the Smithsonian Castle, built between 1847 and 1855.


The Peter family suffered a decline in fortunes after the Civil War, and the quarry was purchased for $70,000 by the Seneca Sandstone Company in 1866. After 10 years of mismanagement and financial scandal, the company went bankrupt in 1876. It changed hands on two more occasions before eventually shutting down operations in 1901, when the quality of the stone declined significantly and redstone went out of fashion.

Over the course of its history, the workforce at the quarry included many immigrants from England, Wales, and Ireland. African Americans also worked at Seneca Quarry, and may have included enslaved men. According to Garrett Peck, the author of The Smithsonian Castle and the Seneca Quarry, “Slaves most likely worked at the quarry before the Civil War—and freedmen certainly worked there until the quarry closed in 1901.”

 The voices of the former workers have long since fallen silent. Today, the quarry sits in ruins, overgrown with sycamores, poplars, and wild rose. Visitors can walk through the woods in search of the property, which includes the red sandstone walls of the old stonecutting mill. There’s also the restored quarry master’s house, the quarry cemetery, and the various stone quarries themselves, all of which fall within the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

Clancy's comment: Yet another quarry bites the dust, eh? Also interesting that the crude work of some graffiti artists is found everywhere.

I'm ...