Portland stone

Description

An unstandardized term that usually refers to a Limestone quarried on the Isle of Portland, England. Portland stone has been quarried since the 12th century. It became popular in the 17th century when Christopher Wren used Portland stone to rebuild St. Paul's Cathedral after the Great Fire of London in 1666. Stone from the isle of Portland was imported to North America in the 18th century (Bucher 1996). The creamy white, oolitic limestone is typically fine-grained with an open texture. In the United States, the name Portland stone is also used for a brownstone quarried near Portland, Connecticut.

See Connecticut brownstone.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Portland limestone; Connecticut brownstone; Portland Stone (Deut.)

Resources and Citations

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

• Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "Saint Paul's Cathedral." Accessed 2 Sept. 2004.

• BRE British Stone List at http://projects.bre.co.uk/ConDiv/stonelist/index.html

• Website address 2 Comment: http://www.swgfl.org.uk/jurassic/portland.htm