346 BULLETIN OF THE NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Streets. — The Medina sandstone is the favorite for street 

 work. Nearly all of the curbing and crosswalks are of the 

 red or spotted sandstone, and It Is admirably adapted to 

 these uses. For sidewalks, also. It Is used, but not so largely. 

 Blue-stone from Pennsylvania quarries, sandstone from At- 

 water, on Cayuga lake, Trumansburgh, In Tompkins county, 

 and the Ohio sandstones are all In demand for flagging. 

 Artificial stone Is also coming Into use and replacing the 

 Medina stone In the construction of sidewalks. The In- 

 equalities In the surface of the smaller, Medina flagstones 

 hold little pools of water, and It Is not as dry a walk as the 

 more even surfaces of blue-stone. For roadways, the Medina 

 sandstone block pavement Is laid on sixteen and one-half 

 miles In length of streets In the city limits."^* The stone 

 laid here, as, also. In Buffalo, are not the dressed Medina 

 paving blocks, but the less expensive, natural-face blocks, 

 costing about two dollars and fifty cents per square yard, 

 and do not represent the best output of the quarries in the 

 Medina sandstone district. It wears well, however, and is 

 not as slippery as granite when wet. On the fine residence 

 streets, as East avenue. Lake avenue. West avenue and 

 others where there Is much driving for pleasure, asphalt is 

 being laid Instead of stone. The total aggregate length of 

 stone block roadway is comparatively below that of other 

 cities In the state. 



Buffalo 



Buffalo obtains its building stone from local quarries 

 within the city limits, from quarry districts in the western 

 part of the state, and, through its advantageous situation 

 on the lake, and low rates of freight, stones from Ohio 

 and Lake Superior region. The even-bedded, gray lime- 

 stone of the cornlferous formation is quarried extensively, 

 for use in foundations of all structures, and for common 



* Letter of Gilbert Brady & Co. , 37 South Fitzhugh street, Rochester, January 3, 1890. 



