Henry's Knob facts for kids

Henry's Knob is a small mountain in York County, South Carolina. It stands about 1,120 feet (341 meters) above sea level. This mountain is close to the North Carolina border and the town of Clover, South Carolina.

For many years, Henry's Knob was a large open-pit mine. From 1947 to 1970, a special mineral called kyanite was dug out here. At one time, this was the biggest kyanite deposit in the world!

Today, Henry's Knob is a special site called a Superfund Alternative Site. This means it needs a lot of environmental cleanup. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that about 450 homes nearby have groundwater contamination. This means their well water is polluted from the old mine. The mining removed about 100 feet (30 meters) from the top of the mountain. Even though some plants have grown back, dangerous minerals like Manganese are still there.

The Story of Henry's Knob

How Henry's Knob Got Its Name

The name Henry's Knob comes from the Henry family. They were some of the first people to settle in York County. They owned the mountain and the land around it a long time ago. In 1765, William Henry received 336 acres (1.36 square kilometers) of land near the mountain. Four years later, he got another 100 acres (0.40 square kilometers). Back then, this part of York County was actually part of North Carolina. It became part of South Carolina in 1772.

Changes in Ownership

In the 1800s, the part of the Henry family's land with the mountain was passed down to a female family member. Eventually, it was sold outside the family before the American Civil War.

Mining Operations Begin

A company called Commercial Ores started mining at Henry's Knob in the 1950s and 1960s. Another company, Combustion Engineering, bought Commercial Ores in 1965. They later sold it in 1971. Since then, the mountain has been owned by several different companies. ABB bought Combustion Engineering in 1990, long after the mining had stopped.

Environmental Cleanup Efforts

The EPA identified ABB as a "potentially responsible party." This means ABB might be responsible for some of the cleanup because they owned the company that did the mining. The EPA asked ABB to study the Henry's Knob site and the surrounding area. They wanted to find out how much pollution there was. They also wanted to understand the "acid mine drainage," which is polluted water that flows from mines. You can find documents about this cleanup at the Clover Public Library.