Rohr Quarry Preserve

Former site of the historic Sharp & Crook Quarries and Hocking Canal

The 40-acre Rohr Preserve includes numerous habitat and heritage features. This property was the former site of the Sharp & Crook Quarry.  An 1875 image of the quarry, which was one of the largest suppliers of sandstone in central Ohio is shown above.  A photo of the quarry in 1897 is shown at right or below.  The sandstone from this quarry was used to construct the Hocking Canal locks and many other buildings and bridges throughout the region.  Sheer stone walls left from quarry activity are visible throughout the site which is now covered with a mature forest.

 

The Rohr Preserve also protects part of the old Hocking Canal prism and a riparian area along the Hocking River. Quarry features such as the old roads are still in place and are now covered in a dense forest. Many features from the quarry, such as the loading basin, remain visible today and will contribute to the interpretation of historic sandstone mining practices.

 

The Rohr Preserve is adjacent to the Hocking River at its confluence with Pleasant Run, which is routed through the nearby large sand quarries, upstream of the confluence.  This is also the site of former Lock 7 (Eckert’s Lock) which has been removed. 

 

The Natural Heritage Database records two mussel species in this section of the Hocking River which include the State and Federally listed endangered Clubshell mussel.

Sharp Quarry 1897