Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 October 1891 — First Use of Building Stone. [ARTICLE]

First Use of Building Stone.

The use of stone in the ornamentation of houses and other buildings is of comparatively rooeut date. Cm hundred and fifty years ago people were too poor 1 to build their homes of other material : than brick or wood. As wealth increased i towns grew into cities and thero was a demand for more durable and ornamental 1 material. Prof, tieorge P. Merrill of tho National Museum is well posted on tho subject of building and ornamental j stones, and to him a Star representative applied for information. “ When did stone first, come into use as a building material?” was asked. " In the early part of the eighteenth century, about 1720, the first stone wasquarried in Massachusetts. It was not,, however, until the early part of this contury that granite began to be used in andabout Boston. In tho year 1825 tho granite quarries ut Quincy began toassume importance. As early os 1792 granite quurries wore reported to liavo» been opened at lludduin Neck, In Connecticut. Marble quurrios wore first worked at Marbledalu, Conn.,in the year 1800. -Sandstone quarrying was first,, undertaken in tho vicinity of Port kind,. Conn., opposite Middletown. The quarries were considered common property • and no tax was imposed until 1(135, when the citizens of Middlotown voted that whoever shall dig or raise stone at yo rooks on the east side of the river (now * Portland) for any without the town, the said digger shall be none but un inhabitant of Middletown, and shall be responsible to ye towne 12 pence per tunn for every tunn of stonos that he or they shall digg for any person whoseeverwithout the towne/” "What about slate for roofing papposes?” "That is also an industry of, recent origin, and few of tho slate quarries havebeen in operation uioro tliun twenty or thirty years. The prevalence ,of slate tombstones, hA’wever, in many of our older churchyards would seem tu indicate’ that these stones have been quarried from u much earlier period for other purposes than roofing.”—[Washington Star.