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Bull Neck Mine

Past Producer in Fairfax county in Virginia, United States with commodities Gold, Silver
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Controls for ore emplacement
  13. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  14. Mining district
  15. Land status
  16. Ownership information
  17. Workings at the site
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10105449
MRDS ID W000348
Record type Site
Current site name Bull Neck Mine
Alternate or previous names Bull Neck Run Mine, Kirk Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -77.21579, 38.96531 (WGS84)
Elevation 49
Relative position 3 1/3 MILES N. 10 DEG. E. OF TYSONS CORNERS

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Fairfax(county)

Virginia(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Falls Church(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Washington West(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Washington(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Middle Potomac-Catoctin(hydrologic unit)

Potomac(hydrologic accounting unit)

Potomac(hydrologic subregion)

Mid Atlantic(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Virginia Fairfax

Comments on the location information

  • JUST WEST OF BULL NECK RUN ABOUT 0.4 MI (0.6 KM) BY RUN NNE OF CROSSING VA HWY 193 (GEORGETOWN PIKE)

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Bornite Gangue
Chalcopyrite Gangue
Chlorite Gangue
Feldspar Gangue
Galena Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Sericite Gangue
Talc Gangue

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 273
USGS model code 36a
Deposit model name Low-sulfide Au-quartz vein
Mark3 model number 27

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Schist
    Rock unit name Schist (Wissahickon Form. );Epal;Alluvium;Mafic Rocks (Chopawamsic Form. )
    Rock description Schist (Wissahickon Form. );Epal;Alluvium;Mafic Rocks (Chopawamsic Form. )
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss

Nearby scientific data

(1) Wissahickon Formation; Boulder Gneiss
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Reg.Trends: Northeast-Southwest
Type of structure Local
Structure description Average Schistosity Strikes N 15 Deg E

Ore body information

  • General form LINEAR
    Strike NW
    Dip STEEPLY NORTHEAST
    Width 1.8M
    Depth to top 0M
    Depth to bottom 30M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Gold-Bearing Wall Rock

Comments on the geologic information

  • FOR LATEST GEOLOGIC MAPPING, SEE DRAKE, A A, JR, AND FROELICH, A J, 1977, BEDROCK MAP OF FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA: US GEOL SURV OPEN FILE MAP 77-523. JOHNSTON (1964) AND DRAKE AND FROELICH (1977) REFER TO SCHIST AS WISSAHICKON FORMATION AND BOULDER GNEISS (DIAMICTITE PARAGNEISS) AS SYKESVILLE "FORMATION" (A UNIT OF THE WISSAHICKON). DRAKE AND FROELICH (1977) REFER TO MAFIC ROCKS AS MEMBERS OF THE CHOPAWAMSIC FORMATION. BOULDER GNEISS OCCURS A SHORT DISTANCE WNW OF MINE. MAFIC ROCKS OCCUR ABOUT 0.1 KM DISTANT IN FLEXURE ENCIRCLING MINE TO THE SOUTH FROM EAST TO WEST. ; MAJOR.UNITS: SCHIST & GNEISS ; GEOL.DESC: THE AGE OF THE HOST ROCK IS UNCERTAIN ACCORDING TO THE STATE GEOLOGIC MAP. REF. 1 (1937) SAYS COUNTRY ROCK IS ALTERED GNEISS, BUT STATE MAP INDICATES GREENSTONE VOLCANICS.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1895
Discoverer Wm. Kirk
Year of first production 1900

Mining district

District name Gold-Pyrite Belt

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Virginia Mines, Inc.
  • Type Owner
    Owner C. F Eagle

Comments on the production information

  • ORE AVERAGED $20.00/TON AND 10-15 TONS OF ORE WERE PRODUCED EACH DAY. ORE HAD 6-10 OZ/TON AU IN PYRITE.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • WITH THE NUMBER OF ROCKHOUNDS WHO HAVE BEEN IN THE MINE, THERE IS PROBABLY VERY LITTLE ORE LEFT.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Overall depth 30M

Comments on the workings information

  • SHAFTS SUNK TO INTERCEPT VEIN AT 30 M (100 FT) LEVEL. IN 1974, RECON BY VA DIV MIN RES DISCLOSED CAVED PITS AND RUINS OF OLD PLANT SITE.

Comments on development

  • OPERATED OVER A YEAR AROUND 1937. ; ECON.COM: IN 1937 THE CONCENTRATED PRODUCT WAS BEING SHIPPED TO CARTERET, N. J., WHICH MAY HAVE RESULTED IN THE MINE BECOMING ECONOMICALLY UNFEASABLE. THE U. S. GOVERNMENT AIDED IN THE MILL'S CONSTRUCTION BY A GRANT OF $20,000.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    SWEET, P C, 1980, GOLD IN VIRGINIA: VIRGINIA DIVISION OF MINERAL RESOURCES, PUBLICATION 19, 77 P.

  • Deposit

    ULKE, T, 1937, NOTES ON A NEW GOLD MINE AND FLOTATION MILL NEAR WASHINGTON, D C: ROCKS AND MINERALS, V 12, P 371

  • Deposit

    ULKE, T, 1939, GOLD MINING PAST AND PRESENT NEAR WASHINGTON, D C: ROCKS AND MINERALS, V 14, P 299-305.

  • Deposit

    JOHNSTON, P M, 1964, GEOLOGY AND GROUND WATER RESOURCES OF WASHINGTON, D C AND VICINITY: U S GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER SUPPLY PAPER 1776, 97 P.

  • Deposit

    1900 DIREXPL HYDRAULIC GOLD-GRAVEL WASHING PLANT OPERATED

  • Deposit

    1936 DIREXPL 70 FT. SHAFT SUNK

  • Deposit

    1937 MINING ABANDONED

  • Deposit

    1964 GEOLMAP JOHNSTON, P.M.: WROTE WATER SUPPLY PAPER 1776.

  • Deposit

    1977 GEOLMAP DRAKE, A.A., JR., & FROELICH, A.J.: OPEN FILE MAP 77-523.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit OPERATED FIRST AS A PLACER REMOVING RESIDUAL GOLD IN ALLUVIUM.
Deposit ANOTHER RELATED REFERENCE IS REED, J C, JR, AND REED, J C, 1969, GOLD VEINS NEAR GREAT FALLS, MARYLAND: U S GEOL SURV BULL 1286, 22 P. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 3 FIELD OBSERV
Deposit Discovery Year: 1890'S

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAR-1972 Wright, Nancy A. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JUN-1979 Meintzer, Robert E. (Le Van, D.C.) U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

Maps centered on this site