Peach Bottom Slate
A Historical Claim to Architectural Fame
for Southern Lancaster County and York County:
Above: Geologic Map of Pennsylvania, by Berg, Edmonds, Geyer, etc., 1980.
The largest private residence in the U. S.
is roofed with Peach Bottom Slate.
The Vanderbilt Mansion:
Above: The Vanderbilt Mansion in Asheville, North Carolina. Built in 1895 for George Vanderbilt, with Peach Bottom slate from York County.
Image source: Wikimedia Creative Commons, by Kolin Toney.
Two Lancaster County Quaker Meetinghouses
with Roofs of Peach Bottom Slate:
Above left: Eastland Friends Meetinghouse. Built in 1803 in Little Britain Township.
Above right: Drumore Friends Meetinghouse. Built in 1816 in Drumore Township.
Above: Peach Bottom slate roof on the horse shed at Eastland Friends Meetinghouse, Little Britain, Lancaster County, PA
Award at London’s Crystal Palace Expo:
The World’s Best Roofing Slate:
Peach Bottom slate is a major claim to architecture fame for southern Lancaster County and southern York County. For generations many experts have considered this slate to be the best in the world. Peach Bottom slate was exhibited at the 1851 Crystal Palace Expo in London, where it was awarded the highest possible prize as the best roofing slate then known.
The Peach Bottom slate ridge was home to the first commercial slate quarry in the U. S. which opened in the 1780s. This almost indestructible slate can last hundreds of years and longer. The slate quarries here have long been silent. But countless building throughout the U. S. continue to show off their Peach Bottom roofs. This world-class slate is the finest possible gift from our Susquehanna River hills to the history of American architecture.
Farmhouse Roofs of Peach Bottom Slate:
Above: Farmhouse and barn roofed with Peach Bottom slate, located on Herr Drive, Peach Bottom, PA:
Above: A farmhouse roofed with Peach Bottom slate, located on Furniss Road, Peach Bottom, PA