- Last Updated on Wednesday, 26 April 2017 17:27
The April meeting of the CAHS, Inc. was privileged to have Washington County Historical Society Director, Clay Kilgore, do a presentation on Charleroi Area Stone Quarries, one located near the North end and one on the south end of town.
Old map showing early stone quarries |
Program President Ken Thompson introduced Kilgore, who talked about how the inter-marriages of the early township families were interconnected with the businesses of the day. Kilgore’s research revealed that Parker Scott Sphar had the earlier stone quarry in the old Allen Township, now the Mapleview/Twilight Hollow area, and it operated from at least the early 1860s into the 1890s. Sphar appeared to become partners with James S. McKean, one of Charleroi's founding fathers. Sphar died in 1895.
Kilgore utilized old maps such as the 1856 Barker and the 1876 Caldwell maps to pinpoint where the Sphar quarry was as well as the one that later was established at the North end of Charleroi as it became a boomtown.
After Kilgore's presentation, there was much discussion about this new-found history. Some of those in attendance actually knew additional information, which Kilgore greatly appreciated. He asked that anyone who has any further information or pictures about the local Charleroi Area stone quarries to please call and leave a message at 724-483-4961 (the CAHS, Inc./the historic Goaziou Print Shop).