WALLINGFORD COPPER MINE CHESHIRE CONNECTICUT, CIRCA 1700

This isn't exactly architectural, but it is geological and archaeological.

Located on the Wallingford/Cheshire town lines, this knife-edge ridge of basalt rises sixty some-odd feet from the forest floor below and runs north to south for about a quarter of a mile. All the hills in the area are of basalt, and they are similarly oriented. Known as the Talcott Hills, many have been profitably mined for 'trap rock' for hundreds of years. Basalt is an igneous rock (formed while molten) and has a particular habit of fracturing along vertical lines as it cools. This makes it particularly valuable as rip-rap, road metal, and other crushed-stone products. In other words, it's already broken by nature, so further breaking is relatively easy.

This particular diabase ridge is crisscrossed by veins of malachite, barite, and other valuable minerals, though they are found in too low concentrations to be profitably mined. It is possible to find small pieces of barite crystal, malachite, and  associated copper sulfides and sulfates. Collectors would soon be bored. Pits and prospects dot the ridge and its edges.

 

The real treasure here is the age of the mine. My research has shown that this mine predates the established 'oldest' copper mine in the state by almost a decade, one in Granby, Connecticut. That mine, since turned into the infamous Newgate Prison of Colonial times, is now a state park, and the copper mined from it was illegally smelted into local coinage. If you find a "Granby Copper," hold onto it; it is the earliest minted coinage in the U.S. and worth a fortune.

The State Archaeologist, when I reported my find and its accompanying deeds and paperwork from the late 1600s, refused to investigate it.

"I don't intend to rewrite history. It upsets too many people."

That was in 1983. The mine and its records are completely unknown to this day.

I haven't checked back with the state to see if there is a more forward-thinking State Archaeologist. (NOTE: I have since reopened my investigation into the mine, and have kept the newest State Archaeologist informed as to my research. He is MUCH more supportive of rewriting history to reflect facts. JWK 3/19).

As to architecture, there are some stone foundations nearby that likely supported some sort of mine buildings. It is also obvious that the mine was worked on and off during the past four hundred years. On my last visit this past weekend, I found several pieces of galena, which sometimes accompanies copper. My guess is that the galena may be mixed with silver. It would not surprise me in the least to find that the early Wallingford Colonials knew this and did a little illegal smelting of their own. The rascals.