Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine Historic District, located along both sides of the North Branch of Quantico Creek in Prince William Forest Park, includes the major producer of pyrite ore in Virginia from 1889 to 1920. Under the management of the Cabin Branch Mining Company, pyrite ore was shipped to processing plants to yield sulfuric acid, which was used in the manufacture of a wide range of products such as glass, soap, bleach, textiles, paper, fertilizers, and medicines. Since sulfuric acid is an important ingredient in the manufacture of gunpowder, Cabin Branch Mine was vital to the United States during World War I. By 1917, Virginia was producing 37 percent of the nation’s pyrite, more than any other state. Due to a decrease in the need for gunpowder during peacetime and the discovery of larger deposits of pyrite worldwide, the mine closed in 1920. While no structures remain intact at the site, extensive foundations give clear evidence of eight mineshafts, 12 buildings, conveyors, railroads, roads, and large piles of waste material removed from the mine. The ruins have been little disturbed since the mine ceased operations and closed, making the site a valuable source of archaeological data related to the pyrite mining industry.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia