Aquia Creek sandstone

U.S. Capitol Building

Description

A fine-grain Sandstone cemented with large chunks of clay quarried in Stafford County, Virginia. Aquia Creek sandstone comes in many pale colors such as light gray, pink, buff and beige. Although a popular construction stone in Washington DC from 1790 to 1840, Aquia Creek sandstone was poorly cemented. It was used in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, but, because of flaws, much of it was painted or replaced soon after it was installed.

Additional Images

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  Zero Milestone

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  Gateposts Washington, D.C.

Resources and Citations

• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996

• Frank A. Lent, Trade names and Descriptions of Marbles, Limestones, Sandstones, Granites and Other Building Stones Quarried in the United States Canada and other Countries., Stone Publishing Co, New York, 1925