Sparta Mine, Ossining (Sing Sing), Westchester County, New York, USAi

Regional Level Types
Sparta Mine	Mine
Ossining (Sing Sing)	- not defined -
Westchester County	County
New York	State
USA	Country

An old lead and silver mine located about 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the Ossining railroad station.

Stearns (1852) gives a brief history of the mine:
"Mr. Sampson Simpson...obtained many valuable mining rights from individuals and the Crown of Great Britain...the silver mine at Sing Sing, Westchester County, New York, [was] very extensively worked and proved exceedingly rich. [This] mine yielded a large quantity of native silver, some portions of which may now be seen at the office of Sampson Simpson, Esq., No. 13 Beekman Street, New Tore.

As a large number of the stockholders of this silver mine at Sing Sing, belonged to the British Army at the commencement of the Revolutionary War, and as its location was very much exposed, the operations upon it were suspended at that time. The tools, smelting house and other buildings were removed by the Continental Army to West Point, and the latter were made to serve for barracks during the war. It was, therefore, solely on account of these circumstances, and not from a scarcity of metal that this work was discontinued. It is certainly to be hoped that some enterprising individuals will again open these mines, and render their untold wealth useful to mankind, as well as profitable to their present proprietor."

Addendum:
The information above was probably based on promotional literature meant to attract investors in the mine and should be read skeptically. The History of Westchester (https://books.google.com/books?id=L0I4AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA324&lpg=PA324&dq=sparta+mine+sing+sing&source=bl&ots=FikvSGWWM_&sig=bo5Z8D5kmZzqiJO9lgMJljnArpo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi2gqm62t_PAhVIOj4KHdhtA-wQ6AEIOzAG#v=onepage&q&f=false) reports that the mining started when a copper vein was found in 1820. But they only followed 30' of the vein before it ran out and extensive exploration by the company failed to yield any economic quantities of copper. This locality was probably an early get-rich-quick investment scheme typical of the time period.

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References