Bluestone from Lorton, VA Constructs Virginia History

March 17, 2014
Bluestone from Lorton, VA
Trinity Church, Upperville, VA c1895

Bluestone in Lorton, VA is an investment in landscape timelessness. Seen throughout country estates, atop age-old city sidewalks, and on many a classic patio, bluestone, routinely confused with slate, is quarried in the New York Catskills, Pennsylvania Poconos, and in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. It can still be seen in Brooklyn’s brownstone neighborhoods,  sprinkled throughout the New York City boroughs, winding through the crisp countryside of New England and the Lehigh Valley, and down to the small colonial towns that dot Virginia’s horse country. Bluestone in Lorton, VA is a construction material that also tells history.

Bluestone from the Shenandoah Valley region, a sedimentary rock known as Shenandoah Valley Bluestone, is a limestone formed 450 to 500 million years ago at the bottom of a shallow ocean that covered what is now Rockingham County, Virginia. The darker blue color of Shenandoah Valley Bluestone is concentrated in one of the largest limestone deposits in the world. As bluestone weathers, it changes from a deep blue to a light grey after prolonged exposure to sun and water.

main bluestone stonewall JMU
Bluestone planter and building at JMU

The colonial settlers used it for the foundations and chimneys of their houses. When James Madison University was built, native bluestone was the natural choice to construct campus buildings. The Frazier Quarry in Harrisonburg, Virginia continues to supply JMU with locally quarried bluestone for building and paving projects today.

bluestone retaining wall shenandoah valley
Bluestone retaining wall, Shenandoah Valley

Bluestone in Lorton, VA, has long been popular for fireplaces and counter tops, graceful walkways and driveways, and elegant patios.  Renewed demand is for a wide variety of applications, some requiring varying sizes and pieces, with some slabs weighing upwards of a ton or more.  This bluestone revival has dovetailed nicely over the past twenty years with the upsurge in authentic historic renovation. If your home is sited in a historic district,  your local planning department or City Council are good sources for a list of  qualified contractors who do bluestone installation and construction work.

At RSSY we have the area’s largest quality selection of bluestone, rock and stone, quarried from Pennsylvania to the Carolinas. Plus, we deliver directly to your location. Whatever color, cut or quantity of stone you need – for any size job.  We’ve worked with native Virginia bluestone and other quarried bluestone in Lorton, VA since 1971, and can assist you in understanding its properties, calculating quantities, and engineering bluestone landscape features that will add elegant beauty and real value to your Lorton property. Call RSSY today – we deliver beyond your expectations.

CWR0224m