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GEOLOGY OF THE WESTERN PART OF THE CAROLINA TERRANE IN NORTHWESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA
skarn consisted primarily of actinolite, diopside, and scapolite
with minor amounts of talc, phlogopite, and other minerals.
Two of Don Secor’s and Bob Hatcher’s students worked
on the Inner Piedmont-Carolina Terrane Boundary in the
vicinity of the marble locations. John Horkowitz (1984)
worked in the Philson Crossroad Quadrangle and John Willis
(1984) in the Cross Anchor Quadrangle to the north. The
Gregory Kiln and Quarry location lies along the boundary
between these two quadrangles. Both workers assign the
dolomitic marbles to the Inner Piedmont.
Clark Niewendorp (1993) visited Raysor’s, Masters’,
and Mahaffey’s Kilns and the kiln on Walnut Creek referenced
by Ruffin (1843) and Tuomey (1848). This latter kiln
Niewendorp named Martin’s Kiln based on the proximity of
a nearby road of the same name and references to the ownership
of the land by an L. Martin found in Kyzer and Hellam
(1883) and a J. Martin found in Sloan (1908). Exact locations
to these kilns can be found in Niewendorp (1993).
The present owner of the Masters’ Kiln site is Mr. Larry
McKellar of Greenwood, South Carolina. Mr. McKeller is
very interested in the history of the quarry and in preserving
what remains of the kiln and building. He has graciously
granted permission for our visit to the site.
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE LAURENS COUNTY
KILNS
Martin’s Kiln
Figure 3 is a picture of this kiln taken in 1991. Features
to be noted are the closely fitted stone work and an air hole
called the “eye of the kiln” which is located just below the
entryway.
Figure 3
Raysor’s Kiln
Figure 4 is a picture of this kiln taken in 1991. The back
wall of the kiln is intact but blocks from the front and entryway
have fallen down.
Garlington’s/Mahaffey’s Kiln
This kiln is now beneath the waters of Lake Rabon on
the south side of the South Rabon Creek channel. In 1991,
the temporary lowering of the water level in lake Rabon
allowed one of the authors (Niewendorp) to visit the site. A
circular area dug out of the hillside and a few stone blocks
from the kiln wall were all that remained. Figure 2 is a picture
of the site taken during that visit. Cobbles of blue-grey
to yellow marble lay scattered around the site.
Figure 2
Figure 4
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