The legacy and history of stone quarried from the Pennsylvania Wilds is legendary. One of the key players in the PA Wilds stone industry is Russell Stone Products based in Curwensville, Clearfield County, in the I-80 Frontier landscape of the PA Wilds region.
Russell’s varieties of stone have been used at hundreds of locations throughout Pennsylvania, New York — and the world – since the late 1800s.
Image: A Russell Stone Products artisan hard at work
Russell Stone Products CEO Dan Russell said his company’s Clearfield County stone is world-famous and has been for centuries. “Sandstone has been widely used around the world since prehistoric times in the construction of temples, cathedrals, homes, and grand buildings,” explained Dan. “With its eco-friendly resistance to weathering, minimal maintenance, and lasting durability, it continues to be a favorite of craftsmen, designers, and architects in creating masterpieces that withstand the tests of time.”
Originally opened during the mid-1880s, the Curwensville Sandstone quarry was dormant from the 1930s until Dan and wife Cynthia bought it in 2002 and business is rock-solid.
What is so unique about the stone in the Wilds, which is much in demand? Dan says it’s part of our region’s basic DNA.
Image: Russell Stone Products in Curwensville, Clearfield County
“As a natural product, our stone is inherently one of the most eco-friendly materials on earth. Its environmentally friendly attributes include an enduring life-cycle, its 100% natural composition, minimal maintenance,” explains Dan. “It is a guaranteed healthy building material that won’t decompose or be found to consist of unhealthy chemicals or ingredients decades down the road.”
Image: The United States Capitol Visitor Center building, where some Russell Stone is used
From prestigious projects like the United States Capital Building Visitor Center to the Six&Kane energy effificent building in Kane, the list of locations where Russell Stone Product’s native stone appears is endless.
“One of our main operational philosophies while building Six&Kane was ‘Buy local, hire local’,” said Barbara Robuck of West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund, the organization that collaborated with 63 Fraley Street, LLC to develop Six&Kane. “We thought that it was extremely important to use local labor and materials.”
Image: Russell Stone was used in the front of the Six&Kane energy efficient building in Kane, McKean County, PA
The stone can also be found at Harrisburg’s Rockville Bridge, various buildings on the Penn State campus and the flight of steps “Rocky” ran up in the movie at the Philadelphia Art Museum.
Image: The “Rocky” stairs in Philadelphia use stone from Russell Stone
Russell’s stone has also been fabricated for stone monuments, pool coping, sills, ornamental stones, interior and exterior applications such as walls, floorings, pavers, diving stones, fire pits, waterfalls and fountains and other design projects.
Dan said the demand for the Clearfield County stone is nearly infinite, “We are currently working on some notable projects right now for George Washington’s home in Mount Vernon, Pittsburgh Airport, Penn State University, and C&O Canal.”
He said the company’s mission is to continue to offer high-profile jobs, provide quality craftsmanship, and uniqueness to each piece of stone that we fabricate knowing the longevity and durability of our sandstone.
“Our craftsmen are experts in the field and utilize a combination of age-old techniques along with modern technology to produce masterpieces that will last for generations out of our famous sandstone quarries,” said Dan.
Image: A large saw is used to cut the stone at Russell Stone Products
Author: Ed Byers
A retired radio and TV newscaster, newspaper writer and corporate communications/media relations manager, Ed Byers is past President of the Associated Press Radio-TV Broadcasters Association and The Press Club of Cleveland. He is a former Forest County resident and current seasonal resident in the nearby Allegheny National Forest.