Greenwood Gold Mine, Independent Hill, Virginia
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Greenwood gold mine operated in Prince William County near the town of Independent Hill sometime between 1820 and 1910 (dates uncertain). This is one of two known gold mines in Prince William County. The other is Crawford placer prospect on Neabsco Creek, near I-95, though small amounts of gold were occasionally found at the Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine in nearby Dumfries.
The Greenwood site was situated at the head of the North branch of Quantico Creek on what is now part of Prince William Forest Park near the intersection of Aden and Bristow Roads in the far northwestern area of the park. The site is situated along the Virginia Gold-Pyrite belt, which runs from northeast to southwest primarily through the counties of Fairfax, Prince William, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Buckingham, Culpepper, Cumberland, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Goochland, Halifax, Louisa, Orange, and Patrick.
Mining operations consisted of at least one shaft, a stamp mill, and some form of mercury amalgamation recovery. The mine was a significant source of mercury pollution on Quantico Creek, and has since undergone complete reclamation including sealing of mine shaft(s), soil removal and/or decontamination, and removal of obvious tailings.
As of 2006, the only visible evidence of the mine are a few depressions in the soil. No structures or equipment remain. Park services charges a $5 fee for entry into the park and does not allow collecting of rocks or minerals.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- "A Ground Electromagnetic Survey Used to Map Sulfides and Acid Sulfate Ground Waters at the Abandoned Cabin Branch Mine, Prince William Forest Park, Northern Virginia Gold-Pyrite Belt" by Jeff Wynn, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA 20192, retrieved April 7, 2006
