Connecticut brownstone

Description

A reddish-brown, porous sandstone quarried on the Connecticut River near the towns of Portland, Cromwell, Manchester, Middletown and East Haven in Connecticut. Several grades are available ranging from fine-grain and uniform to coarse-grain and irregular. Connecticut brownstone was one of the earliest and most widely used building stones in America and has been used in almost every state (Lent 1925). The quarry has been in continual operation since the 17th century. Connecticut brownstone is commonly used for building exteriors.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Portland sandstone; Portland stone

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