Exploring the History of Independence’s Old Haydite Mine

Independence, Ohio

Last fall I went for a random drive down Stone Road, choosing to turn off of Route 21 and head into the valley. Obviously, I didn’t make it very far, because at the very end of the road (which doesn’t continue on and connect to Canal Road, like I thought) is the remains of the old Haydite Mine. The mine and its equipment is being dismantled, as the land, which includes the water-filled old quarry, is being turned into parkland. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the old mine doesn’t have an interesting history.

The Longest-Running Business in Independence

Although the Hydraulic Press Brick Company didn’t open its doors on Stone Road in Independence until 1892, the mine pops up on the 1874 map (seen above.) This isn’t a surprise, because this part of the city, which runs over the border with Valley View by Rockside Road, was once filled with sandstone and shale quarries. (In case you were wondering where the name “Rockside” comes from, well… there it is.)

Over the years, the Hydraulic Press Brick Company changed hands and names, up until 2004 when DiGeronimo Aggregates purchased the business and began selling their Haydite around the country.

For the record, Haydite is a material that’s used in landscaping. It consists of aggregate that’s light and very porous, and is available in several different colors, allowing people to customize the decorative stone in their yards.

Haydite is made from shale (which was strip mined in the old quarry), which is put through a heating process in a very long kiln. This structure is the remnants of that 200-foot long rotating kiln:

After leaving the kiln, the shale is both harder and lighter than it used to be. The other parts of the plant (which no longer exits) turned the material into the Haydite that was sold to landscapers and home and garden stores.

The quarry in 1927.

Land Donated to the West Creek Conservancy

The quarry in 1951.

In 2018, upon the closure of the mine, DiGeronimo Aggregates gave the land to the West Creek Conservancy, who is tasked with removing the old plant and leaving behind the land to be restored back into its natural state. Over time, the quarry will fill in with water and become a lake, and there will be walking paths that connect the area with the nearby Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Pretty soon, there won’t be any signs of the old Haydite mine left, but you’ll know that they’re there.