Slate Industry
Slatington, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
One of the largest slate-producing centers in the United States. Welsh slate entrepreneur William Roberts first sighted slate in 1844 near a local barn. He and other Welsh immigrants established and worked in numerous slate quarries in this region. Nearby quarries included "Big Franklin"( c.1852), the largest excavation in Slatington; and "Williams," known for its production of school slate. These sites also contributed to the increase of slate roofing during the late 19th century.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
The region around Slatington grew into one of the largest slate-producing centers in the United States after Welsh entrepreneur William Roberts spotted slate near a local barn in 1844. He and fellow Welsh immigrants opened a cluster of quarries, including the vast "Big Franklin" and the "Williams" quarry famous for making school slates. Their work helped fuel the popularity of slate roofing across America in the later 19th century.
Why it matters
The quarries tie Pennsylvania's industrial rise to the skilled Welsh immigrants who built it, and to the everyday classroom slates and rooftops that slate once supplied nationwide.
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Related people
- · William Roberts
Themes & tags
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