Rockton and Rion Railroad Historic District

The Rockton and Rion Railroad Historic District is an industrial site in South Carolina with approximately forty buildings and six structures from the granite quarrying era. The area spreads along a historic railroad line and includes worker housing, operational buildings, and a school constructed entirely from local granite.

The site developed in the late 1800s as infrastructure to support granite quarrying in the region. The system transported stone to markets for decades until activity ceased in the 1940s.

The quarry sites and worker housing shape the appearance of the area, showing how laborers and supervisors lived their daily lives within the industrial landscape. The buildings reflect an era when granite extraction defined the region's economy and craftwork traditions remained visible in construction methods.

Visitors can freely explore the ruins and original buildings scattered across the grounds. It helps to research the industry beforehand to better understand the layout and purposes of the various structures you will encounter.

Two steam locomotives still stand on the original tracks, demonstrating the power of these machines that once hauled heavy granite blocks. These locomotives are rare witnesses to an extinct era of transportation.