Vulcan Materials Co.’s former Piedmont Quarry opened as a public park, dubbed Quarry Park, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
According to The (Winston-Salem) Chronicle, Quarry Park sits on about 200 acres of land with the centerpiece being a water-filled quarry.
The Piedmont Quarry, originally owned and operated by Pioneer Quarries, started in the 1920s. In 1960, the company sold it to a division of Vulcan Materials Co. Vulcan eventually closed it in favor of larger quarries.
The Piedmont Quarry last produced crushed stone in the early 1970s, but material was sold from its stockpiles as late as 1982, The (Winston-Salem) Chronicle reports. After the late 1980s, the pit became filled with water and is now host to a variety of freshwater sea life.
Vulcan donated the property, which contained 165 acres, to the city in 1998. The park now includes several picnic tables, grassy areas, restrooms and scenic overlooks, The (Winston-Salem) Chronicle says. There is no public access to the quarry waters, so it can’t be used for swimming, fishing or boating.
“For some people, this is a neighborhood secret,” says James Taylor, Southeast Ward city council member. “You’re looking at the infusion of millions of dollars into the southeastern portion of the community.”
