The Thomas Quarries

Marble and Limestone

Famous Marble

There were two veins of marble on the Thomas property.  The colors ranged from dark blue/black to a pale bluish white.  It is said that the marble was comparable in quality to Italian statuary marble.  In July 1833, the quarry was being operated by Jacobs and Cornog, and was under contract to furnish the marble to build Girard College in Philadelphia.  Upon completion, Girard College was considered one of the grandest buildings in America, primarily due to the magnificent white marble columns.

 In addition to Girard College, the Thomas Quarry marble used in several other buildings in Philadelphia, as well as what used to be known as the Bank of Chester County  in West Chester.  When the bank was being built, the marble was shipped there by horse-drawn cart along a spur from the West Chester Railroad.  

In 1844, the marble quarry was closed, due primarily to the difficulty and expense in sizing the blocks and getting them to market.   The quarry stayed dormant until 1867, when it was opened again, this time under steam power and connected by a spur to the Chester Valley Railroad.  It stayed in operation this time for about three years.  By now the majority of the better quality marble had been quarried and  many springs were causing difficulty with dailey operations .  It was finally decided to close the operation and allow the quarry to fill with water.  It is said that when operation ceased,  all of the equipment was left at the bottom of the 90 foot pit.

About 30 years after it was allowed to fill with water, it was reopened by George and Ethel Thomas as a family swimming quarry.  Originally called Whitford Garne Quarry, the family began calling it the Blue Hole due to the color of the water as a result of the great depth.  The Blue Hole remained active Memorial day through Labor day from the early 1900's  until  the mid 1970's when it was closed once again.   

Limestone Operations

One of the greatest sources of income in 19th century Chester Valley was limestone.   In 1787, George Thomas found limestone to be a beneficial soil supplement.  By the early 1800 there were several commercial limestone operations.  Although  limestone is mostly associated with quarries, there were many kilns constructed on local farms used by the farmers and their neighbors.  

Made into an earth bank, the limestone kilns were oval in shape and were about 18 feet in height at the opening,  tapered to 16 feet at the bottom, and about 12 feet deep.  The flue would be at the bottom of the kiln, approximately 2 ft. by 1 ft.   The kiln would be stocked with kindling which was covered with a grate.  Alternate layers of coal and limestone would be piled upon the grate.  

After four days and 10.5 tons of coal they would collect some 1400 bushels of lime.  Because it only cost $.04 per bushel to produce, lime was a profitable endeavor.   Lime production peaked in the 1860's with approximately 15 commercial lime kilns in operations.  Almost all lime production was ended by 1890.  

The "Blue Hole" and the remains of the quarry mill c.1970