Slate is Great: Geology of Poultney, Vermont

During the Paleozoic period, which was about 417 to 545 million years ago, sediments very similar to shale were deposited on the ocean’s floor. They compressed to form a sedimentary rock, and were moved into the Earth’s crust. A metamorphic rock was later formed by intense heat and pressure. This metamorphic rock is a well-known and commonly used modern resource- a resource called slate. Slate is in a lot of places around Vermont, but it can also be found in Poultney- my hometown.

Poultney is a small town in Vermont, in Rutland County. It is in Vermont's southwestern region. New York borders Poultney's west side. Castleton borders its north side. It is an important part of the 24 mile long (along the border) Slate Valley. The entire Slate Valley has a rich history involving quarrying, especially Poultney. You will hear about this history later on. (Below is a map showing Poultney's location.)

In conclusion, I think that quarrying has changed Poultney for the better. Quarrying in the past helped shape Poultney's future, which is our present. New nationalities integrating with longtime citizens brought diversity and prosperity to the town. More jobs were available to people, which helped the economy and the immigrants who were trying to start their new lives. Most of all, the jobs helped all the people support their families. Best of all, slate was an innovation that helped us- the present generation- have the sturdy structures we have today. I think that slate in Poultney has helped us become more known to others- and that makes me feel proud as a citizen.

Poultney's slate quarrying business is very important globally. Greenstone Slate Company, a Poultney quarrying business, made a few structures outside of our country, but I will only be talking about one of them. The Council House of Leidschendam is located in the Netherlands. This roof was constructed using custom cut Greenstone Slate Vermont "Clear Gray" and "Unfading Gray Green" roofing slate.

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Courtesy of DVIDS. Glen Goodall, VT, WW2 Soldier. 0AD, www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2019/06/05/PBUR/698f9554-f1ce-4bee-94ce-1ab46acd32fe-1067254.jpg?crop=1182,667,x0,y0&width=1600&height=800&fit=bounds.

Jonathan. “Quarrymen of Northern Wales.” Two Fingers Media, 8 Feb. 2015, twofingers.media/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/45494-look-historic-photos-of-north-wales-quarrymen-uncovered-29-1423414642.jpg.

Lucci, Gabrielle. Greenstone Slate Co.'s Location. 24 Feb. 2020.

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Lucci, Gabrielle. Map of Poultney 2 (Used Snipping Tool to Create Image with Map from ESRI). 26 Feb. 2020.

Unknown. Council House of Leidschendam. 0AD, lh3.googleusercontent.com/GsWU8CviP-c_H6Af6wO0UOpvY1iSRRUM-rmaR-qw6mmsjY9-xrPggw6D6CTYN_3SOOkLHg=s116.

Courtesy Photo. Granville Slate Workers. 0AD.