Quarries of the Hummelstown Brownstone Company
Also known as: Berst Quarries; Pennsylvania Brown Freestone Company Quarries
Why it's listed
Four brownstone quarry pits in Derry Township, Dauphin County, lie about two miles south of Hummelstown on the south side of South Mountain. The sandstone, a Triassic formation colored by iron oxides, was cut from pits that reach depths of about 160 to 200 feet. Quarrying began in the 1850s after contractors in Harrisburg took notice of the stone, and the Berst family's Rapho tract became the first site. The Pennsylvania Brown Free Stone Company was chartered in 1867, and Allen Walton directed its operations from 1868. It was rechartered as the Hummelstown Brownstone Company in 1891. The company's stone went to buildings in Philadelphia, Gettysburg and elsewhere, and was valued for durability and color. A railroad linking the quarries to the Philadelphia and Reading line in 1885 greatly increased output. The site is listed for its role in the regional building-stone industry. Today the water-filled pits remain, along with the railroad bed and ruins of the brick plant.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the quarries made a significant contribution to American building arts as an industry that kept pace with technical changes in stone quarrying in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company supplied brownstone widely across Pennsylvania and to other states, and its stone was praised by architects and tested for hardness and durability. The 1885 railroad link to the main rail line greatly increased production.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 03000075, listed February 27, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly N of Brookline Dr., Amber Dr., Derry Township |
|---|---|
| County | Dauphin County |
| Listed | February 27, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000075 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1850 to 1927 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Quarries are water-filled and now resemble lakes surrounded by woodland; the brick plant retains four pillars and a brownstone arch. |
| Acreage | 21 |
| Coordinates | 40.22195, -76.69081 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 03000075.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5940951
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.