Bluestone from Lorton, VA Constructs Virginia History

Bluestone from Lorton, VA
Trinity Church, Upperville, VA c1895

Bluestone in Lorton, VA is an investment in landscape timelessness. Seen throughout country estates, atop age-old city sidewalks, and on many a classic patio, bluestone, routinely confused with slate, is quarried in the New York Catskills, Pennsylvania Poconos, and in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. It can still be seen in Brooklyn’s brownstone neighborhoods,  sprinkled throughout the New York City boroughs, winding through the crisp countryside of New England and the Lehigh Valley, and down to the small colonial towns that dot Virginia’s horse country. Bluestone in Lorton, VA is a construction material that also tells history.

Bluestone from the Shenandoah Valley region, a sedimentary rock known as Shenandoah Valley Bluestone, is a limestone formed 450 to 500 million years ago at the bottom of a shallow ocean that covered what is now Rockingham County, Virginia. The darker blue color of Shenandoah Valley Bluestone is concentrated in one of the largest limestone deposits in the world. As bluestone weathers, it changes from a deep blue to a light grey after prolonged exposure to sun and water.

main bluestone stonewall JMU
Bluestone planter and building at JMU

The colonial settlers used it for the foundations and chimneys of their houses. When James Madison University was built, native bluestone was the natural choice to construct campus buildings. The Frazier Quarry in Harrisonburg, Virginia continues to supply JMU with locally quarried bluestone for building and paving projects today.

bluestone retaining wall shenandoah valley
Bluestone retaining wall, Shenandoah Valley

Bluestone in Lorton, VA, has long been popular for fireplaces and counter tops, graceful walkways and driveways, and elegant patios.  Renewed demand is for a wide variety of applications, some requiring varying sizes and pieces, with some slabs weighing upwards of a ton or more.  This bluestone revival has dovetailed nicely over the past twenty years with the upsurge in authentic historic renovation. If your home is sited in a historic district,  your local planning department or City Council are good sources for a list of  qualified contractors who do bluestone installation and construction work.

At RSSY we have the area’s largest quality selection of bluestone, rock and stone, quarried from Pennsylvania to the Carolinas. Plus, we deliver directly to your location. Whatever color, cut or quantity of stone you need – for any size job.  We’ve worked with native Virginia bluestone and other quarried bluestone in Lorton, VA since 1971, and can assist you in understanding its properties, calculating quantities, and engineering bluestone landscape features that will add elegant beauty and real value to your Lorton property. Call RSSY today – we deliver beyond your expectations.

The Magic of Stepping Stones in Lorton, VA

stepping stones through beach pebbles

Whether invisibly tethered across a babbling brook or dancing through a rocky field, stepping stones in Lorton, VA define our experience as much as they do a magical pathway or a special destination.

Raw landscaping materials from gravel to river rock, flagstone to concrete, make gorgeous and practical garden pathways to take you where you want to go across your landscape. The magic of stepping stones in Lorton, VA always beckons.

Imagine a meandering bed of Chesapeake Wash Gravel, topped by a chain of smooth chocolate-gray Maple Creek  round edge stepping  stones. Fantastic to the eye, fundamental to the natural filtration of rainwater, and a gorgeous accent to your well-appointed landscape.

Larger stepping stones can also blanket thick grass to pave a casual, comfortable walkway through your yard to the garage, patio, or pool. Plus, laying a walkway of high-caliber flagstone stepping-stones in Lorton, VA is a simple, upscale  DIY weekend project anyone can tackle.

Selecting a different type of stone can completely alter the look and feel of your walkways and  landscape. Irregular Flagstone sections are light-colored and large, very patio-like; while Mojave Flagstone is alive with orange and rust, splashing across the horizon. stepping stone flagstone garden path

More substantial stones, such as Midnight Blue Thick, Fieldstone Steppers, and Hoopers Creek Thick can cover a wide area, coordinate with thinner varieties within your landscape design, and span your entire property, acting as decorative accent, extraordinary functional elements, and a long-lasting landscape aesthetic for the ages.

Gravel, the trusted foundation to every landscape project ever undertaken, is an extremely versatile material available in plentiful colors and sizes.  Consider gravel and its silent companion, sand, to reduce water-dependent ground covers and lawns, improve rainwater filtration, and move toward a more sustainable landscape environment.

Stop by RSSY and discover everything you need to create all the magic of stepping stones in Lorton, VA.