A Web Gallery of Stone Buildings and Their Building Stone
This quaint page is a gallery of images of buildings and the stones of which they are built. Each row of the table below is a link to a page with larger-format images and explanatory text.
In this gallery, you'll find many of the usual stone buildings: for example, castles, churches, and courthouses of sandstone and limestone. However, you'll also find a barn, an aircraft hangar, a gymnasium, and a railroad roundhouse built of stone, and you'll find coal, chert nodules, and calcrete among the stones used.
The purposes of these pages are
1. to remind general observers of the use of geological materials in building;
2. to encourage general observers to look at the stone in buildings they visit;
3. to encourage architects and builders to remember stone as they plan their work; and
4. to acquaint geologists with some of the unexpected uses of geological materials as building stones.
The selection here is highly arbitrary. If you think a building and its stone should be included, send the author jpegs and information parallel to the examples below and they will (at the author's lenient discretion) be added to the page.
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
Building |
Type of Stone |
Photo of Building |
Photo of stone |
Washington Hall, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York, USA |
Gneiss |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/WP01T.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/WP02T.jpeg) |
Lumpkin House, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, U.S.A. |
Athens Gneiss |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/LH01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/LH02t.jpeg) |
Homes in Keswick, in the Lake District Cumbria, England, U.K. |
Green Slate |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/KS01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/KS02t.jpeg) |
Old store and church, Rockmart, Georgia U.S.A. |
Gray slate |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/Rockmart01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/Rockmart03t.jpeg) |
Homes, hotels, and towers, in the Mosel Valley, Germany |
Slate (and meta-siltstone) |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/MoselSlateBuildingt.jpg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/MoselSlateStonet.jpg) |
Pfitscherjoch Hütte, Austrian-Italian border, Tirol |
Feldspathic granulite gneiss |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/PJ01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/PJ02t.jpeg) |
Matrei Bahnhof (Train Station), Matrei, Tirol, Austria |
Gneiss |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/MT01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/MT02t.jpeg) |
Graham County Courthouse, Robbinsville, North Carolina, U.S.A. |
Quartzite |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/GC01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/GC02t.jpeg) |
Old Stone Church, Pickens County, South Carolina, U.S.A. |
Metamorphic Rocks |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/OSC01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/OSC02t.jpeg) |
U.S. Post Office, Athens, Georgia, U.S.A. |
Marble |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/AP01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/AP02t.jpeg) |
Rock Inn, Lake Hughes, California, U.S.A. |
Granitic gneisses |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-RILHCA01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-RILHCA02t.jpeg) |
IGNEOUS ROCKS
Building |
Type of Stone |
Photo of Building |
Photo of stone |
Venable family Stonehenge Mansion, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. |
Stone Mountain Granite |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/SJ01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/SJ02t.jpeg) |
Eagle Store, West Yellowstone, Montana, U.S.A. |
Rhyolite and Basalt |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/EWY01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/EWY02t.jpeg) |
Yellowstone T-shirt Company shop West Yellowstone, Montana, U.S.A. |
Rhyolitic Breccia |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/TWY01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/TWY02t.jpeg) |
Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, U.S.A. |
Red Granite |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BM01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BM02t.jpeg) |
Recreation Hall, Arco, Idaho, U.S.A. |
Vesicular basalt |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-Arco01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-Arco02t.jpeg) |
Commerical building, Loa, Utah, U.S.A. |
Basalt and andesite |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-Loa01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-Loa02t.jpeg) |
Auld Building, Elberton, Georgia, U.S.A. |
Elberton Granite |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/EGA01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/EGA02t.jpeg) |
Nan Madol, Pohnpei Micronesia |
Basalt Columns |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/NM01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/NM02t.jpeg) |
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS: SANDSTONES
Building |
Type of Stone |
Photo of Building |
Photo of stone |
Fountains Abbey, near Ripon, Yorkshire, England, U.K. |
Carboniferous Sandstone |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/FA01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/FA02t.jpeg) |
Cliff Dwellings, Mesa Verde National Park Colorado, U.S.A. |
Cretaceous Cliff House Sandstone |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/MV01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/MV02t.jpeg) |
Stone Cabin, southern Utah, U.S.A. |
Mesozoic red sandstone |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-Behunin01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-Behunin02t.jpeg) |
Buildings in Callendar, Stirlingshire, Scotland, U.K. |
Red Devonian Old Red Sandstone |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/CL01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/CL02t.jpeg) |
Cawdor Castle, Northern Scotland, U.K. |
Brown Devonian Old Red Sandstone |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/CC01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/CC02t.jpeg) |
Railroad roundhouse, Como, Colorado, U.S.A. |
Late Paleozoic sandstone |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-Como02t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-Como05t.jpeg) |
An aircraft hangar, Idaho State University Pocatello, Idaho, U.S.A. |
Sandstone, (and a few pieces of basalt) (and one chunk of granite) |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-ISU01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-ISU02t.jpeg) |
Almost a whole town: Hot Springs, South Dakota U.S.A. |
Lower Cretacous Fall River (Dakota) sandstone |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-HSSD04t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-HSSD06t.jpeg) |
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS: LIMESTONES
Building |
Type of Stone |
Photo of Building |
Photo of stone |
Roman Arena, Verona, Italy |
Ammonitic Jurassic Limestone |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/VA01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/VA02t.jpeg) |
Georgia State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia U.S.A. |
Mississippian limestone |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/GSC1t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/GSC2t.jpeg) |
Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis, Indiana U.S.A. |
Three Paleozoic limestones from Indiana |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/CCCI01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/CCCI03t.jpeg) |
Old Stone Mill Decorah, Iowa U.S.A. |
Ordovician limestone |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/OSM01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/OSM03t.jpeg) |
St. Mary's, Aldermanbury, in Fulton, Missouri U.S.A. |
Jurassic oolitic limestone from Britain |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/SMFM02t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/SMFM04t.jpeg) |
Fort Scott, Kansas, USA |
Pennsylvanian algal limestone |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/FS02T.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/FS03T.jpeg) |
The Old Rock School House, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, USA |
Ordovician dolostone |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/PDC01T.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/PDC02T.jpeg) |
Many homes and buildings Beloit, Kansas USA |
Cretaceous Greenhorn Limestone |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-Beloit01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-Beloit07t.jpeg) |
Annaberg Plantation St. John U.S. Virign Islands |
Cenzoic (probably Quaternary) Coral |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/AB01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/AB02t.jpeg) |
Castillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine, Florida, U.S.A. |
Quaternary coquina |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/SA03t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/SA02t.jpeg) |
Roman Arena, Arles, Provence, France |
Mesozoic limestone |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/ArlesArenat.jpg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/ArlesStonet.jpg) |
le Tour magne, a Roman tower in Nimes, France |
limestone |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/TourMagneTowert.jpg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/TourMagneStonet.jpg) |
Tennessee State Supreme Court building, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A. |
"Tennessee Marble", an Ordovician limestone from eastern Tennessee |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/TSC01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/TSC03t.jpeg) |
Barn in the Flint Hills, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Strong City, Kansas, U.S.A. |
Permian limestone |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-TGPNM01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-TGPNM03t.jpeg) |
OTHER SEDIMENTARY MATERIALS
Building |
Type of Stone |
Photo of Building |
Photo of stone |
Anglican Church, Great Sampford, Essex, England, U.K. |
Chert Nodules (Flints) |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/GS01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/GS02t.jpeg) |
Private Home, Stow-cum-Quy, Cambridgeshire, England, U.K. |
Chert Nodules (Flints) |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/SQ01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/SQ02t.jpeg) |
New Justice Building (Courthouse), Munich, Bavaria, Germany |
Tertiary molassic conglomerate |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/MJ01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/MJ02t.jpeg) |
Jakobsdom, (Cathedral of St. Jakob), Innsbruck, Austria |
Quaternary Breccia |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/JD01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/JD03t.jpeg) |
First Methodist Church, Elberton, Georgia, U.S.A. |
Quartz Pebbles |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/EGC01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/EGC02t.jpeg) |
Roadside store, U.S. Highway 30, Wyoming U.S.A
|
Dinosaur bones |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-CB01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-CB02t.jpeg) |
The Coal Palace, Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa, U.S.A. |
Pennsylvanian Coal |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/CP01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/CP02t.jpeg) |
El Cuartelejo Pueblo, Scott County, Kansas, U.S.A. |
Calcrete (caliche) |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-EC01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-EC02t.jpeg) |
TWO OR THREE KINDS OF STONE
Building |
Type of Stone |
Photo of Building |
Photo of stone |
Gasthof Post, Strass, Tirol, Austria |
Limestone and slate at a geologic boundary |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/Strass01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/Strass03t.jpeg) |
Dixie Academy, St. George, Utah, U.S.A. |
Local basalt and sandstone |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-SGU01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/BS-SGU02t.jpeg) |
Wayne County Court House, Richmond, Indiana, U.S.A. |
Indiana limestone and New Hampshire granite |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/WC01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/WC03t.jpeg) |
Pfarrkirche, Zell am See, Austria |
Granite, limestone, and slate |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/ZS01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/ZS02t.jpeg) |
MULTIPLE KINDS OF ROCKS
Building |
Type of Stone |
Photo of Building |
Photo of stone |
Inverlochy Castle, Fort William, Scotland, U.K. |
Lithologic Potpourri |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/IL01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/IL02t.jpeg) |
An old service station, Wayne County, Indiana, U.S.A. |
Glacially transported potpourri |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/HI01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/HI02t.jpeg) |
Chadwick-Munger House, home of the Oceana County Historical Society Hart, Michigan, U.S.A. |
Diverse hammered stones from glacial till |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/Hart01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/Hart02t.jpeg) |
Charthouse Restaurant, Savannah Georgia, U.S.A. |
Trans-oceanic potpourri |
![Building Image](http://railsback.org/BS/Sav01t.jpeg) |
![Stone Image](http://railsback.org/BS/Sav03t.jpeg) |
Related links:
A page about The Geology and Building Stones of Burton Bradstock, Dorset, England, UK.
A USGS page on Building Stones of Washington, DC.
British Stone's "Stone List" of building stones in Britain.
The National Stone Institute's page
To Bruce Railsback's main page.