The Soapstone Factory

The Soapstone Factory

The Soapstone Factory Photograph by Mark Mones
Photo 2 of The Soapstone Factory Photo 3 of The Soapstone Factory Photo 4 of The Soapstone Factory Photo 5 of The Soapstone Factory Photo 6 of The Soapstone Factory Photo 7 of The Soapstone Factory Photo 8 of The Soapstone Factory Photo 9 of The Soapstone Factory Photo 10 of The Soapstone Factory
Late 19th century. Schuyler Rd. at Alberene Loop

The Alberene Soapstone Company harvested and processed soapstone here from quarries in central Virginia. The former factory buildings are rapidly deteriorating into a picturesque ruin. Here soapstone from Schuyler was made into acid-proof sinks, electric switchboards and insulators, tabletops, and other products. At least one of the surviving old buildings is made from stacked slabs of waste soapstone, and others are frame, including the large commissary sheathed with asphalt shingles.

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