Quarry Under New Owners

Barger Family Had Run Operations Since 1932

Charles W. Barger & Son has sold its quarry operations to Salem Stone Corp., a subsidiary of English Construction.

Chuck Barger, third generation owner of the company his family started nearly a century ago, said the sale, two years in the making, was completed on Jan. 1.

“Over the past, we have had numerous offers for the concrete and stone business, but it took over two years to resolve the ownership interests and to structure the sale,” said Barger this week. “We also wanted an excellent steward for our people and the community, … ” Salem Stone will provide this stewardship, he said, “for many years to come. We are delighted to have the English group join our community.” The sale includes the active quarry itself on the south side of U.S. 60, just outside of Lexington, the former quarry on the north side of U.S. 60 on Flower Lane, warehouses behind the newly constructed but not yet open Residence Inn, office and shop buildings and various rental properties surrounding the active quarry and the property where the Adams Construction asphalt plant is located. (Adams Construction is a subsidiary of English Construction and has operated on the property since 1949.) The sale also includes Acres Sand and Stone, a sand and gravel operation in Stuarts Draft.

English Construction, noted Barger, “was established over 100 years ago, [and] is a major, Virginia-based, family- owned construction firm which also owns 15 other quarries in Virginia and North Carolina. Operations, as well as our name, will remain the same. Changes that do occur will take place slowly over a period. My role will be to stay out of the way and help make the transition phase as smooth as possible. Then be a good next-door neighbor!”

The quarry is more than a century old. It was opened in 1922 by Howard A. Donald, who operated it until 1932, when Barger’s grandfather bought it to provide building materials for his construction business. After his grandfather’s death in 1952, Barger’s father became president and opened the concrete business, in addition to the stone and construction divisions.

Over subsequent decades, Barger’s father, together with his vice president and brother-in-law Matt Beebe, constructed numerous VDOT bridges and roads as well as institutional buildings throughout the western region of Virginia.

Barger started working for the company in 1974, one month out of college, the year after his father died.

“My uncle Matt Beebe was president, adding a tremendous amount of much-needed experience and stability,” Barger recalled.

The quarry on the south side of U.S. 60 opened in 1977. There were active quarry operations on both sides of the highway from then until 1980, when the north quarry operations shut down. The Stonewall Square Shopping Center, a reclamation project from former quarry operations, opened in 1990 on the south side of U.S. 60, with Kmart as the anchor store.

Over the years, Charles W. Barger & Son has been responsible for building a number of structures on the campuses of Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute. These include VMI’s Nichols Hall Annex, Alumni Memorial Stadium, the quadrangle of the barracks and the top floors of Scott Shipp Hall Annex, and W&L’s student center, duPont Hall and Lewis Hall that houses the law school. The construction division continued until 2010, when the company decided to concentrate on the concrete and stone divisions, said Barger.

He pointed out that his family’s company has been, “for nearly 100 years, a stable source of employment and income for many local families. Our products are locally produced and consumed within a 30-mile radius.”

The quarry and related stone and concrete divisions employ about 20 people. These employees are being retained by the company’s new owners.

Barger remains owner of Stonewall Square Shopping Center. Businesses there include Food Lion, Ollie’s, Harbor Freight, the recently opened Dunhams’ Sports, Papa John’s Pizza, Gina’s Trattoria, New HK Chinese, Carter Bank, Hardee’s, McDonald’s and the Pit Stop convenience store and Exxon service station. The Division of Motor Vehicles has its Rockbridge area offices there now. And, the aforementioned new Residence Inn is set to open shortly.