Chester County Mine, Phoenixville mining District, Schuylkill Township, Chester Co., Pennsylvania, USA

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Second largest mining operation within the Phoenixville mining district (Wheatley Mine was the largest). Located on the John Chrisman farm, adjacent, just to the west, of the Wheatley Mine property. A lead-copper mine believed started by welsh miners about 1847, although production prior to 1850 consisted of a little over 20 tons of lead ore, plus some copper ore. Development in this period consisted of six shafts and 479 meters of workings.

In 1850, the Chester County Mining Company was incorporated. Operations began in June and with Dendy Sharwood as mine operator, the mine produced 380 tons of ore in it's first year. A smelter with a capacity of 30 tons of ore per week began operating in june of 1851. In 1852 453 tons of the mines ore, and an additional 212 tons of ore from the Wheatley Mine and Montgomery Mine collectively were smelt at this facility. With workings at 18 and 37 meter levels, the attempt to reach the 91 meter level (where Lead and Copper levels were projected to meet), were hampered by the hardness of the rock and in June of 1853, the pumps were turned off and the mine was left to fill. Operation of the mine by the Chester County Mining Company ceased in 1854, It featured 1,675 meters of workings on 3 levels, 12 shafts and 7 winzes, with a total production to date of 1243 tons.

In 1918, The Eastern Mining and Milling Company reopened several operations in the Phoenixvile district, including a mine on the Chester County vein. Known as the South West Chester County Mine, two shafts were connected at levels 43 and 61 meters with aproximately 274 meters of drifts. In 1919 about 500 tons of ore was mined, however these workings closed by June of 1920 and marked the last mining activity in the district.

Refs.:
Min.Rec.:20(5):369-384.

Mineral List

Anglesite Cerussite

Chalcopyrite Galena

Pyromorphite Quartz

Sphalerite Wulfenite

8 entries listed. 8 valid minerals.