Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1923-02-27
LARGE STONE CUTTING
PLANT TO LOCATE HERE

Continued From Rage OneC
flock for their worthy pastor.
But to get back to the subject
of how this abandoned, and in
sense, lost quarry was redls-
covered is not positively known
to the writer, but he thinks it
was through the persistent and
intelligent investigation of a
Washington lawyer, who in an
effort to discover where the stone
used in the first public buildings
in Washington was procured.
Without much trouble, and by
the assistance of Mr.. Elliott
Woods, Superintendent of the
capitol building followed the trail
to Aqua Creek, where, of course,
every old resident knew the To-
cation of the quarries, and, per-
haps, something of their history.
1t was not at first the intention
of the present owners to erect
their cutting plant in Alexandra,
The quarries are located several
miles above the point where the
R. F. and P. r. R., crosses Aqua
and it was thought feasible by
those interested to dredge
channel and build docks along the
n lilroad in question and install
their machinery for cutting the
stone at that point, but upon in
vestigation by the engineers, who
were formerly with the Indiana
Limestone producers, who will
have charge Of this enterprise,
both at the quarry and in this
city, this plan was abandoned.
Common labor could be obtained
in the vicinity, and from Fred
ericksburg, which is only about
IL miles distant, to excavate the
raw material, but to locate sew
eral hundred mechanics, who ope-
rate the saws, planes and vari-
Gus other machines necessary to
finish the product, was a differ
ent proposition, which could not
be easily overcome, without ex-
traordinary expense. Houses,
schools, churches and other es-
sential accommodations for such
large force would have to be
provided, and even then no deep
water transportation facilities
were at hand, or available. With
these facts before them the, en-
gineers reported adversely upon
the first plan, and Informed the
promoters. that it would be ne
cessary to adopt soma more feas-.
ible solution of the problem. Il
so happened that las fall Mr.. E.
F. Giberson, one of the leading
spirits in the enterprise, called
upon well-knowp Alexandrian
with a view of learning something
of the history of their newly ac-
quired property. This visit re-
ulted in several trips to the quar-
ries with Messrs, Giberson, Ar
thur Middleton and Samuel Mil
Ter (the latter being associated
with the Crawford Paving Co, in
the stone work on the Memorial
Temple), and all of them stock
holders in the Quarry Company.
These trips led to more intimate
acquaintance, and finally an APP
peal from Mr.. Giberson for as
sistance in locating a proper site
lin Alexandria, This was not diff
! ficult. Several trips along the
river front with officers and en-
gineers was sufficient to convince
them of the advantage this City
possessed: Through Messrs. Cation
land Cation conference was ar
ranged with Mr.. Colin H. Living
lsstone representing the owners of
l the old -Agnew shipyard. at the
foot of Franklin street, which
property consisted of about six
acres, was purchased in its en-
tirity. 1t is the purpose of the
company to repair and operate