Limestone University in Gaffney in Cherokee County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Limestone Quarry
Photographed by Michelle Jackson, September 28, 2025
1. Limestone Quarry Marker
Limestone deposits here furnished lime used in the production of iron during the American Revolution and throughout the 19th century. By the 1820s this open pit was a quarry owned by U.S. Congressman Wilson Nesbitt and was on a large tract including Limestone Springs, which later became a popular antebellum resort. Limestone Springs Female High School, founded in 1845, became Cooper-Limestone Institute in 1881 and Limestone College in 1898.
(Continued on other side)
(Continued from other side)
This quarry, often called "Nesbitt's Quarry," was acquired by the school before the Civil War. Sold to help pay debts in 1883, it operated until World War I, when it was closed and filled with water. It reopened in 1933 after pumping the water out, mining limestone and producing lime until the deposit here was finally exhausted in 1953. The quarry, filled with water since, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Erected 2014 by Limestone College. (Marker Number 11-12.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Industry & Commerce • War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical year for this entry is 1883.
Location. 35° 3.398′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Upstate and in the Foothills. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. 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 original Cherokee Nation, 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 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Carroll School of Fine Arts Building (within shouting distance of this marker); The Reverend Thomas Curtis, D.D. (within shouting distance of this marker); Winnie Davis Hall (within shouting distance of
Photographed by Michelle Jackson, September 28, 2025
2. Limestone Quarry Marker
Another marker is no longer nearby. Limestone (was about 400 feet away but has been confirmed missing).
Credits. This page was last revised on October 10, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 3, 2025. This page has been viewed 113 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 3, 2025, by Michelle Jackson of Bessemer City, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
