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The soapstone quarries located in Spartanburg and Cherokee counties are distinct, well preserved examples of a once numerous, but now rapidly vanishing, specialized procurement site. Here occurs an extensive zone of soapstone deposits from which, primarily during the prehistoric, Late Archaic Period (3000 BC – 500 BC), soapstone was procured. The narrow zone of lenticular soapstone deposits is approximately 8 km. in length. Soapstone Quarry Site 38CK45 consists of small clustering of soapstone boulders exhibiting limited quarrying activity surrounded by a scatter of worked and unworked soapstone pieces. The scatter of soapstone probably extended over a greater area in the past since 2 rock walls are located to the north and south of the site. Worked material has been observe and collected from southern wall. Listed in the National Register December 10, 1980.

View the redacted text of the nomination form for this National Register property. In addition the Historic Resources of Early Ironworks of Northwestern South Carolina includes historical background information for this and other related National Register properties.

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