1643 Salem Road
Schuyler, VA 22969
Soapstone exists in only a few places in the world, among them Alaska, Brazil, Finland—and Central Virginia. For more than half a century, it was the reason and livelihood for the community of Schuyler. There were some 90 quarries in the area. In 1991, Armand and Bernice Thieblot purchased a 600-acre decommissioned Schuyler soapstone quarry property that was being used as the local dump. After retirement in 2013 the Thieblots set about to restore and preserve the rare native plant communities already in place and to introduce additional native plant species endemic to within 15 miles of the site.
Six quarries —now appearing as two rock-sided pools of water (each about an acre in area and 30-45 feet deep)—are central to the Quarry Gardens. For a quiet and serene getaway, treat yourself to this OLLI Outing visit to the Quarry Gardens about 30 minutes south of Charlottesville. We will tour 34 native plants “galleries” that border the still waters and sheer rock faces of the former soapstone quarries and spend time in a world away from the everyday. We will enjoy the use of the covered “picnic pavilion” for a bring-your-own/brown bag lunch prior to our scheduled 1 p.m. tour. If there is a rainout, we’ll plan on visiting the following Monday. Please visit on the web – quarrygardensatschuyler.com
