Texas Quarry Tour

Digging holes seems like child’s play. But not when you’re the crew at Martin Marietta’s Texas Quarry. Their hole isn’t measured in feet, but rather miles: a mile long and a half mile wide, to be exact. This massive pit was the source of marble that was used to build the walkway to the Capitol in Annapolis and the portico for St. Paul’s Cathedral in NYC. Our Washington Monument in Baltimore and a section of the Washington Monument in D.C. are also made from Texas marble. The history of this quarry goes back even further to 1802 and the first Irish immigrants to the region. On this tour, let’s watch the heavy equipment dig and haul while discovering the stories of those immigrants.

We will learn the history of the quarry, including past and current ownership, and information on daily operations. This tour is based on a scenic overlook above the quarry. From there, we can view the equipment at work in the distance. There is no public access to the quarry pit or the operations since it is a working job site. The crew is working about a mile away — binoculars are recommended for closer viewing.

You may also like the following events from The Natural History Society of Maryland:

• Next Saturday, 28th February, 09:00 am, Cattail Caterpillars: A Field Exploration in Rosedale
• Next month, 5th March, 12:00 am, March Fossil Club: On the Heels of Dinosaurs- Fossil Tracks and What they Reveal in Overlea, Maryland
• Next month, 7th March, 09:00 am, Fossil Hunt at Stratford Hall - Fossil Club Members Only in Montross