LARGEST -Open Faced Quarry - Mount Airy, North Carolina
Posted by: 
macleod1
N 36° 30.461 W 081° 35.439
17S E 447109 N 4040422
This quarry is located in the north west corner of North Carolina, close to the Virginia border in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is easily accessible from I-77 north and south or I-40 east and west.
Waymark Code: WM4YTF
Location: North Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 10/15/2008
Views: 12
Web Info: (
visit link)
This quarry has many interesting distinctions. Astronauts circling the world can see it from outer space, it is so big. It has been designated the “World’s Largest Open Faced Quarry”.
Not many states have a State Rock—in fact, North Carolina has designated the great Mount Airy quarry the Official State Rock of North Carolina.
There are several reasons Mount Airy Quarry has been given this honor. It was one of the first commercial natural stone businesses in North Carolina. But more importantly, this was recognition of the many beautiful structures built from Mount Airy White that dot the earth.
The Rock, as it is known affectionately by local citizens, was once considered a white elephant when it was purchased in 1849 by Robert S. Gilmer. He was so angry when he found this “big white rock” on what he thought was a farm, that he insisted the seller give him part of his money back. So the story goes, that the huge Mount Airy White Quarry was bought for zero.
That was over 150 years ago, and we have been harvesting stone from this site since 1743—and will be, for the next several thousand years. The great grand children of your great grand children’s great grand children will be able to design and build a building that will match exactly the one you built.
I