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  Welcome to the

HISTORY - The grit mill

Picture
Metabasalt rock with quartz courtesy of Specialty Granules.
Near Blue Ridge Summit, Monterey Pass, and bordering a portion of Robert E. Lee's Gettysburg retreat route is the Charmain plant of Specialty Granules LLC.  The site of the green metabasalt quarry and mining operation was opened by the Hayman family in 1923, and was also known as Funkhauser's for awhile.  SGI has since those times provided high-quality specialized products to the North American building materials industry for over 90 years.

Interestingly, 98% of the plant's business is in mineral granules for the asphalt roofing shingle industry.  The green stone is mined in open pits, then crushed and sized, and some of the granules are coated with a semi-ceramic coating to produce a rainbow of colors for roof tops.  Refined "dust" for tennis court manufacturers, and aggregates for road building and paving are other important parts of SGI's business.

From its modest beginnings in the 1920s, Specialty Granules has grown to become the local employer of over 150 "miners" -- some second and third generation employees dedicated to a safe environment.
Other Mining

New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co. began operating the former Valley Quarries' Bullfrog Road location in 2015. Originally, the limestone quarry was opened about 1860 by John Gellbach of Fairfield. An advertisement from 1917 described the operation as the "Gelbach Lime Quarries".
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Mission

The mission of the Fairfield Area Historical Society is to help preserve and protect our historical heritage.  The Society will identify and acquire artifacts and information of historical significance to our area.

Thank you

The Fairfield Area Historical Society would like to thank Matthew Jenkins for his contribution of much of the content for this site, Rhonda Myers for the design of our logo and site, Fairfield Auto Service and Mansion House, our sponsors.
​
108 West Main Street
​P.O. Box 263
Fairfield, PA 17320 
(717) 642-5640
fairfieldareahistoricalsociety@gmail.com

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Site designed by Rhonda Myers.