Lee marble
Description
A fine-grain, white Dolomitic marble quarried near Lee in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. The Lee marble quarries were founded in 1852. It is used as a dimension stone and for military cemetery headstones. Lee marble was used for the exterior of the Senate and House wings of the U.S. Capitol building. Four courses of Lee marble were used to face the Washington Monument separating Texas marble on the bottom and Cockeysville marble on the top. Transportation made the Lee marble too expensive to use for the entire upper section.
Synonyms and Related Terms
Berkshire Lee marble
Additional Information
V. Mossoti, A.R. Eldeeb, T. Fries, M.J. Coombs, V. Naude, L. Soderberg, G. Wheeler, 'The Effect of Selected Cleaning Techniques on Berkshire Lee Marble: A Scientific Study at Philadelphia City Hall' U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 2002.
Sources Checked for Data in Record
- 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