Montclair in Prince William County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine

Photographed by Frank Harder Sr., circa April 2016

1. Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine Marker (refurbished)

Inscription. Located in Prince William Forest Park, the Pyrite Mine trail leads you to a peaceful, open expanse above the banks of the Quantico Creek. From 1889 to 1920 the area was busy with the sights, sounds and smells of mining. The Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine employed residents of the villages of Batestown and Hickory Ridge, and the “fool’s gold” that miners brought to the surface was processed into sulfuric acid and used in making soap, fertilizer and gunpowder. During the years it operated, the Cabin Branch mine supplied more than 200,000 long tons (a long ton is 2,400 pounds) of pyrite for industry in the United States. After its closure in 1920, the Cabin Branch mine lay dormant. In 1995, the National Park Service and the state of Virginia reclaimed the mine.

Erected by Fortuna Center Plaza Merchants.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Notable Places. A significant historical year for this entry is 1889.

Location. 38° 35.749′ N, 77° 20.011′ W. Marker is in Montclair, Virginia, in Prince William County. It is on Fortuna Center Plaza near Dumfries Road (Virginia Route 234), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4424 Fortuna Center Plaza, Dumfries VA 22025, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area,

in Northern Virginia,

and in the Piedmont.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least

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8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Potomac Path (within shouting distance of this marker); Weems Botts Museum (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Williams Ordinary (about 500 feet away); Rippon Lodge (about 700 feet away); Troop Movements and Camp (approx. half a mile away); “Camp Fisher” Civil War Campsite (approx. 0.6 miles away); Alexander Henderson (approx. 1.1 miles away); Little Union Baptist Church (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Montclair.

Also see . . . National Park Service article about the Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine. (Submitted on February 13, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)

Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Kevin W., January 16, 2008

2. Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine Marker

Photographed by Kevin W., January 16, 2008

3. Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on October 1, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 12, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,173 times since then and 51 times this year. Last updated on September 30, 2025, by N. Jozsa of Woodbridge, Virginia. Photos: 1. submitted on April 9, 2016, by Frank Harder Sr. of Dumfries, Virginia. 2. submitted on February 12, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. 3. submitted on February 13, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.