ON THE USE OF STONE IN CITIES 337 



five miles of paved streets and twenty miles of stone side- 

 walks."'^ 



BiNGHAMTON 



Although brick is the leading constructive material 

 used in the larger and more important structures, much 

 stone has been put in buildings erected during the past 

 decade ; and the city has some notable stone buildings. Of 

 these, one of the oldest is the Christ Protestant Episcopal 

 church, built of greenish-gray sandstone, from Bucklin's 

 quarry at Oxford, Chenango county. During the past 

 summer the north side was bright-green with a growth of 

 algae. The United States Government building (completed 

 recently) is of Warsaw sandstone and Portage sandstone, 

 The stones are cut with rock-face and are laid in broken 

 courses, with fine-cut stone in the arched lintels, sills, water- 

 tables, etc. Upon close inspection some of the blocks are 

 noticed as having a rusty appearance, but as a whole there 

 is a uniform shade of faint-greenish-gray which produces a 

 pleasing effect. The Westcott building, on State street, is 

 one of the most ornate new architectural structures, having 

 blue sandstone from Warsaw in the three lower stories, and 

 brick above, trimmed with the same stone. Oxford blue 

 sandstone is seen in the new business building, on the corner 

 of Henry street and Commercial avenue. It is used in 

 rock-face blocks with red brick . Berea, Ohio, sandstone 

 is being employed in the first story, and in trimmings for 

 the upper stories, of a new building opposite, and on Henry 

 street. Another new composite structure of brick and 

 Warsaw sandstone, is the tall Ross building on Court 

 street, corner of State. These new business buildings will give 

 an opportunity to study the effects of weathering on these 

 three sandstones, under similar conditions, and for a uni- 

 form length of time. Onondaga gray limestone has been 



* Letter December 28, 1889. 



43 



