Trans. N. V. Ac. Set. 122 ^P^'- 30. 



from an encyclopedia of architecture, " no modern building will stand a 

 thousand years" — few of them, indeed, over a century or two, in fair con- 

 dition —is only a matter of jest. 



The following- additional facts, observed in reference to the decay of 

 stone in this city, have been gathered partly by observation in our streets, 

 and partly by a study of the tomb-stones in the old cemeteries at New 

 Uirecht and Flatbush, on the southern and northeastern outskirts of the 

 city of Brooklyn, L. I., and in that of St. Paul's Church, at the corner of 

 Broadway and Fulton street, in this city. In my last paper I presented 

 observations on the stones in the churchyard of Trinity Church, built in 

 184 r-6 (the first building having been erected on that site in 1696). 

 St. Paul's Chapel was erected 1766, and, although this structure is 

 older than that of Trinity, its cemetery is much more recent in its 



origin. 



BROWN SANDSTONE. 



In addition to the varieties already described, there is one quite re- 

 cently introduced into this city from Hammelstown, Penn., in a building 

 on Fifth avenue above 41st street. It has been largely used in Phila- 

 delphia, and is said to resist the weather very well. 



The causes of the general decay of brown-stone may be definitely 

 connected with some of the agencies which were detailed in my 

 former paper. 



Erection on edge of lamination. — Instances are very rare in this 

 city where the stone has been laid " on its bed," with a deliberate re- 

 gard to its durability : e.g., a few houses on Fifth avenue above 51st 

 street, the new wings of the Astor library, etc. On the other hand, 

 from mere convenience in construction, many buildings, especially of 

 our older churches, are fortunately so constructed, the blocks having 

 been small and square and conveniently so laid. In some instances, 

 {e.g., the church on the southeast corner of 35th street and Fifth 

 avenue), blocks occur in both positions and in both are affected by in- 

 cipient decay ; in others {e.g., the church on southwest corner of 21st 

 street and Fifth avenue), the blocks, although all on bed, are often 

 deeply decayed. In the old City Hall, erected in 1812, the north face, 

 although on the side usually least affected by decay, presents the 

 brownstone of its ashlar set on edge and exfoliating in entire sheets, 

 often traversed by fissures across the lamination, parallel to the joints. 

 Notwithstanding these warnings, most of our newest edifices exhibit 

 the same faulty construction : e. g., the sandstone (from Massachusetts) 

 n the trirnmings and even partly in the pillars of the Union League 

 Club on Fifth avenue, the fine new residences in the upper part of 

 Madison avenue, the trimmings, etc., in the huge new buildings for 

 " flats" and business offices throughout the city, often nine to eleven 



