The Marble Cliff Quarry Co., is located in the community of San Margherita and operated the largest limestone quarry in the United States from its founding in 1913 [1] until its sale in 1985.
In the early 1840s, quarry activities began in the area to mine a narrow belt of Columbus and Delaware limestone [2] which stretched all the way from the Scioto River to the Olentangy River adjacent to Marble Cliff, Ohio.[ citation needed ] The Columbus formation stone was roughly 100 feet thick with the Delaware limestone deposit above at 16 to 35 feet thick. Limestone was mined through the simple process of drilling and blasting and resulted in either blocks or crushed stone of various sizes. The products were then sent to the nearby limestone markets where they were sold and used in construction or as flux to purify iron ore. [2] These activities became more extensive in 1892 with the arrival of Sylvio A. Casparis and the Casparis Stone Co. [3]
In 1913, Marble Cliff Quarries Co. was founded and shortly consolidated quarrying activities with the merger of Casparis Stone, Scioto Stone, Kiefer Stone, and Woodruff and Pausch Stone. John W. Kaufman was named president of the company and H.J. Kaufman vice president. [2] The company grew through the expansion of stone grades from one to six and market-specific divisions that cater their products to specific industries, and at one point employed as many as 500 men. [4] [3] By 1928, Marble Cliff Quarry was producing 3 million tons of stone per year, and purchased land in Muskingum County to expand their operations in road material. [5]
In 1985, the Kaufmans sold the 2,000-acre (8.1 km2) quarry to investors who filled in and developed the quarry for residential use, including Marble Cliff Commons [6] [2] [3] apartments and Marble Cliff Crossing, a 100 single-family and 60 double-family subdivision built between 1998 and 2003. [7] The northern section of the original quarry remained in operation by American Aggregates Co. [8] [9]
In 2017, Wagenbrenner Development purchased a 560-acre (230 ha) section of the former quarry, with the intention of remediating the site's brownfields to create a mixed-use development and the region's 20th Metro Park. [10] [11] [12] On November 30, 2021, the first phase of the 225-acre Quarry Trails Metro Park opened to the public. [13]
Columbus is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, and the third-most populous U.S. state capital. Columbus is the county seat of Franklin County; it also extends into Delaware and Fairfield counties. It is the core city of the Columbus metropolitan area, which encompasses ten counties in central Ohio. It had a population of 2.139 million in 2020, making it the largest metropolitan area entirely in Ohio and 32nd-largest metro area in the U.S.
Marble Cliff is a village in Franklin County, Ohio, United States. The population was 634 at the 2020 census.
Upper Arlington is a city in Franklin County, Ohio, United States, on the northwest side of the Columbus metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,800. The Old Arlington neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Dublin is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. A suburb of Columbus, it falls within the jurisdictions of Franklin, Delaware, and Union counties. The population was 49,328 at the 2020 census. Dublin has the highest concentration of Asians of any Ohio city. The Dublin Irish Festival advertises itself as the largest three-day Irish festival in the world.
San Margherita is an unincorporated neighborhood directly west of Columbus, Ohio, half falling into Norwich Township and the other half in Franklin Township. The area was settled in the early 20th century by Italian immigrants working for the Marble Cliff Quarry Company. Though once a robust and rural community, San Margherita is in danger of vanishing. Many of the original homes and locally owned businesses in the neighborhood have been demolished.
The Arena District is a mixed-use planned development and neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio. The site was developed through a partnership between Nationwide Realty Investors, Ltd., the City of Columbus and private investors. Interpretation of the boundaries of the district are evolving as the neighboring blocks around the original 75-acre (300,000 m2) site have seen additional commercial and residential development. The Arena District is named for Nationwide Arena.
Franklinton is a neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio, just west of its downtown. Settled in 1797, Franklinton is the first American settlement in Franklin County, and was the county seat until 1824. As the city of Columbus grew, the city annexed and incorporated the existing settlement in 1859. Franklinton is bordered by the Scioto River on the north and east, Harmon Avenue on the east, Stimmel Road and Greenlawn Avenue on the south, and Interstate 70 on the west. Its main thoroughfare is West Broad Street, one of the city's two main roads.
The Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks are a group of 20 metropolitan parks in and around Columbus, Ohio. They are officially organized into the Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Park District. The Metro Parks system was organized in 1945 under Ohio Revised Code Section 1545 as a separate political division of the state of Ohio. The Metro Parks are overseen by a Board of Park Commissioners consisting of three citizens appointed to three-year terms without compensation by the Judge of the Probate Court of Franklin County, Ohio. The Board in turn appoints an Executive Director responsible for operations and management of the parks.
Downtown Columbus is the central business district of Columbus, Ohio. Downtown is centered on the intersection of Broad and High Streets, and encompasses all of the area inside the Inner Belt. Downtown is home to most of the tallest buildings in Columbus.
The Brewery District, traditionally known as the Old German Brewing District, is a neighborhood located in Columbus, Ohio. Located just south of the central business district and west of German Village, it is bounded by Interstate 70 on the north, South Pearl Street on the east, Greenlawn Avenue on the south, and the Scioto River on the west.
The city of Columbus is located in central Ohio at the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers. The region is dominated by a humid continental climate, characterized by hot, muggy summers and cold, dry winters.
John F. Wolfe Columbus Commons is a 6-acre (2.4 ha) park and green space in downtown Columbus, Ohio, located on the site of the former Columbus City Center mall. The park features gardens, a performance stage, carousel, interactive playground equipment, and two foodservice buildings. The project was developed by Columbus Downtown Development Corporation (CDDC) and Capitol South Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation. The park opened on May 26, 2011.
Fifth by Northwest is a neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio. Covering about 700 acres (280 ha), Fifth by Northwest is approximately bound by Glenn Avenue, Wyandotte Road, & Kinnear to the north, Third Avenue to the south, Kenny Road and Olentangy River Road to the east and Northstar Road to the west. Also sometimes referred to as 5XNW or the Tri-Village area, Fifth by Northwest is just north of Grandview Heights, northwest of the Harrison West neighborhood, and west of The Ohio State University.
Battelle Riverfront Park is a 4.1-acre (1.7 ha) park in downtown Columbus, Ohio, United States, near Columbus City Hall. The park was established in 1983. It is named after Gordon Battelle and was funded by the Battelle Memorial Institute.
The Scioto Mile is a collection of parks and trails along both banks of the Scioto River in Columbus, Ohio, connecting parts of the Scioto Greenway Trail with downtown Columbus and Franklinton. The nine parks cover 145 acres (59 ha).
Scioto Audubon Metro Park is a public park and nature preserve in Columbus, Ohio. The park is managed by the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks and is part of the Scioto Mile network of parks and trails around Downtown Columbus. The park features numerous trails, wetlands, rock climbing, volleyball and bocce courts, and numerous other amenities. At the western edge is the Grange Insurance Audubon Center, considered the first nature center built in close proximity to a downtown area.
The Columbus Civic Center is a civic center, a collection of government buildings, museums, and open park space in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. The site is located along the Scioto Mile recreation area and historically was directly on the banks of the Scioto River.
MKSK is an American planning, urban design, and landscape architecture firm. The company is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, founded in 1990. The firm is known for its work reshaping Central Ohio, particularly downtown Columbus. MKSK is an employee-owned practice with a network of twelve metropolitan studios in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia.
Highbanks Metro Park is a metropolitan park in Central Ohio, owned and operated by Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks. The park is named for its steep banks along the Olentangy River, the park's most unique feature. Highbanks also features ten trails, picnic space, a nature center, sledding hill, and nature preserve. It also includes numerous ancient burial mounds and earthworks from the indigenous Adena culture.
Quarry Trails Metro Park is a 220-acre (89 ha) metropolitan park in Columbus, Ohio, owned and operated by Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks. The park opened on November 30, 2021, as Central Ohio's 20th metro park. Portions of the park remained under construction, although 200 acres opened, including a 25-foot waterfall, trails, boardwalks, and a zipline.
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