- Chantilly Quarry, Loudoun County, Virginia
- Twin Creeks Complex, Loudoun County, Virginia
- Fairfax Quarry, Fairfax County, Virginia
Encounters with Stone
Amonate #31 Coal Mine
The Amonate #31 Coal Mine, located on the border of West Virginia and Virginia was one of many mines throughout central Appalachia that extracted the sought after pocahontas coal formation. The coal from this formation was well known for its high energy output and relatively smokeless burning making it ideal for steel fabriaction. Notably, it was also the coal of choice for the US Navy throughout WW2 as the lesser degree of smoke produced would make ships harder to spot and track.
The mine here closed in the early 2000s after approximately 80 years of operation, one of many coal mines closing in the regiona leading to towns like Amonate rapidly declining. Once hosting a population of nearly a thousand alone in the small township, it is now 59 in 2024. This design-led inquiry is part of a larger project involving collaborators at Virginia Tech.