A Study of the Properties of the U.S. Capitol Sandstone
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Building Stones of Our Nation's Capital
/h\q AaAjnyjspjopiBs / / \ jouami aqi (O^iqiii^eda . -*' ", - t »&? ?:,'. ..-. BUILDING STONES OF OUR NATION'S CAPITAL The U.S. Geological Survey has prepared this publication as an earth science educational tool and as an aid in understanding the history and physi cal development of Washington, D.C., the Nation's Capital. The buildings of our Nation's When choosing a building stone, Capital have been constructed with architects and planners use three char rocks from quarries throughout the acteristics to judge a stone's suitabili United States and many distant lands. ty. It should be pleasing to the eye; it Each building shows important fea should be easy to quarry and work; tures of various stones and the geolog and it should be durable. Today it is ic environment in which they were possible to obtain fine building stone formed. from many parts of the world, but the This booklet describes the source early builders of the city had to rely and appearance of many of the stones on materials from nearby sources. It used in building Washington, D.C. A was simply too difficult and expensive map and a walking tour guide are to move heavy materials like stone included to help you discover before the development of modern Washington's building stones on your transportation methods like trains and own. trucks. Ancient granitic rocks Metamorphosed sedimentary""" and volcanic rocks, chiefly schist and metagraywacke Metamorphic and igneous rocks Sand.gravel, and clay of Tertiary and Cretaceous age Drowned ice-age channel now filled with silt and clay Physiographic Provinces and Geologic and Geographic Features of the District of Columbia region. -
Draft National Mall Plan / Environmental Impact Statement the National Mall
THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT DRAFT NATIONAL MALL PLAN / ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT THE NATIONAL MALL THE MALL CONTENTS: THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT .................................................................................................... 249 Context for Planning and Development of the National Mall ...................................................................251 1790–1850..................................................................................................................................................251 L’Enfant Plan....................................................................................................................................251 Changes on the National Mall .......................................................................................................252 1850–1900..................................................................................................................................................253 The Downing Plan...........................................................................................................................253 Changes on the National Mall .......................................................................................................253 1900–1950..................................................................................................................................................254 The McMillan Plan..........................................................................................................................254 -
Building Stones of the National Mall
The Geological Society of America Field Guide 40 2015 Building stones of the National Mall Richard A. Livingston Materials Science and Engineering Department, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA Carol A. Grissom Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute, 4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, Maryland 20746, USA Emily M. Aloiz John Milner Associates Preservation, 3200 Lee Highway, Arlington, Virginia 22207, USA ABSTRACT This guide accompanies a walking tour of sites where masonry was employed on or near the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It begins with an overview of the geological setting of the city and development of the Mall. Each federal monument or building on the tour is briefly described, followed by information about its exterior stonework. The focus is on masonry buildings of the Smithsonian Institution, which date from 1847 with the inception of construction for the Smithsonian Castle and continue up to completion of the National Museum of the American Indian in 2004. The building stones on the tour are representative of the development of the Ameri can dimension stone industry with respect to geology, quarrying techniques, and style over more than two centuries. Details are provided for locally quarried stones used for the earliest buildings in the capital, including A quia Creek sandstone (U.S. Capitol and Patent Office Building), Seneca Red sandstone (Smithsonian Castle), Cockeysville Marble (Washington Monument), and Piedmont bedrock (lockkeeper's house). Fol lowing improvement in the transportation system, buildings and monuments were constructed with stones from other regions, including Shelburne Marble from Ver mont, Salem Limestone from Indiana, Holston Limestone from Tennessee, Kasota stone from Minnesota, and a variety of granites from several states. -
BUIL])ING STON.E O·F WASHINGTON
BUIL])ING STON.E o·f WASHINGTON By WAYNE S. MOEN Washington Department of Conservation Division of Mines and Geology Bulletin No. 55 1967 State of Washington DANIEL J. EV ANS, Governor Department of Conservation H. MAURICE AHLQUIST, Director DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY MARSHALL T. HUNTTING, Supervisor Bulletin No. 55 BUILDING STONE OF WASHINGTON By WAYNE S. MOEN STATE PRINTING PLANT. OLYMPI A , WASHINGTON 1967 For sale by Department Pof? ceConsl]SliARYervation, Olympia, Washington. PACIFIC NORTHWEST FOREST AND RANGE EXPERIMENT STATION etnDTLAND. OR£00N CONTENTS Poge Introduction 7 General history .. ...... ...........................•............ 8 Production and vo lue . 10 Forms of building stone . 12 Field stone . 12 Rough building stone . 13 Rubble . • . 14 Flogging (flagstone) . 14 Ashlar . .. ......... ........ , ................. , . , . 15 Crushed stone . 16 Terrozzo . 17 Roofing granules.............. .... ..... ......... 18 Exposed aggregate . 18 Reconstituted stone . • . 19 Landscape rock . 20 Area coverage of bui Iding stone . 21 Acquisition of bui )ding stone . 22 Examination of stone deposits . 23 General quarrying methods . 24 Physical properties of building stone . 26 Strength . 26 Hardness and workabi Iity . • . 27 Color . 28 Alteration ....•...................... , ........... , . 29 Porosity and absorption ...........•. : . 31 Testing of building stone... .. .................... ................ 33 Common building stones of Washington . 34 Granite . 35 Geology and distribution . 35 Physical properties . 38 Varieties -
Part 629 – Glossary of Landform and Geologic Terms
Title 430 – National Soil Survey Handbook Part 629 – Glossary of Landform and Geologic Terms Subpart A – General Information 629.0 Definition and Purpose This glossary provides the NCSS soil survey program, soil scientists, and natural resource specialists with landform, geologic, and related terms and their definitions to— (1) Improve soil landscape description with a standard, single source landform and geologic glossary. (2) Enhance geomorphic content and clarity of soil map unit descriptions by use of accurate, defined terms. (3) Establish consistent geomorphic term usage in soil science and the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS). (4) Provide standard geomorphic definitions for databases and soil survey technical publications. (5) Train soil scientists and related professionals in soils as landscape and geomorphic entities. 629.1 Responsibilities This glossary serves as the official NCSS reference for landform, geologic, and related terms. The staff of the National Soil Survey Center, located in Lincoln, NE, is responsible for maintaining and updating this glossary. Soil Science Division staff and NCSS participants are encouraged to propose additions and changes to the glossary for use in pedon descriptions, soil map unit descriptions, and soil survey publications. The Glossary of Geology (GG, 2005) serves as a major source for many glossary terms. The American Geologic Institute (AGI) granted the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation Service) permission (in letters dated September 11, 1985, and September 22, 1993) to use existing definitions. Sources of, and modifications to, original definitions are explained immediately below. 629.2 Definitions A. Reference Codes Sources from which definitions were taken, whole or in part, are identified by a code (e.g., GG) following each definition. -
Descriptions of Common Sedimentary Environments
Descriptions of Common Sedimentary Environments River systems: . Alluvial Fan: a pile of sediment at the base of mountains shaped like a fan. When a stream comes out of the mountains onto the flat plain, it drops its sediment load. The sediment ranges from fine to very coarse angular sediment, including boulders. Alluvial fans are often built by flash floods. River Channel: where the river flows. The channel moves sideways over time. Typical sediments include sand, gravel and cobbles. Particles are typically rounded and sorted. The sediment shows signs of current, such as ripple marks. Flood Plain: where the river overflows periodically. When the river overflows, its velocity decreases rapidly. This means that the coarsest sediment (usually sand) is deposited next to the river, and the finer sediment (silt and clay) is deposited in thin layers farther from the river. Delta: where a stream enters a standing body of water (ocean, bay or lake). As the velocity of the river drops, it dumps its sediment. Over time, the deposits build further and further into the standing body of water. Deltas are complex environments with channels of coarser sediment, floodplain areas of finer sediment, and swamps with very fine sediment and organic deposits (coal) Lake: fresh or alkaline water. Lakes tend to be quiet water environments (except very large lakes like the Great Lakes, which have shorelines much like ocean beaches). Alkaline lakes that seasonally dry up leave evaporite deposits. Most lakes leave clay and silt deposits. Beach, barrier bar: near-shore or shoreline deposits. Beaches are active water environments, and so tend to have coarser sediment (sand, gravel and cobbles). -
Sandstone Problems
CONSERVATION TALK Michael Trinkley Why Sandstone Monuments Have So Many Problems Whether in the Carolinas, Utah or Massachusetts biggest cause is the effect of moisture, brought on by many sandstone are in very poor condition. Why? And capillary action, humidity and even a monument's perhaps even more importantly, what can be done? environment and micro-climate. Sources not related to Sandstone is a sedimentary rock, meaning that moisture include solar and UV radiation, as well as minerals or organic particles have settled in layers and the structural issues-although I don't believe any of these layers have gradually formed into rock. They often (but not are as important as moisture. Contributing to the always) have distinct bedding planes-or layers. Geologists problems caused by moisture are salts and air pollution. generally divided sedimentary rocks into three categories So let's look at a few of the more common problems. and most of what we see in cemeteries may be classified as Keep in mind that relatively little conservation research "clastic." These are formed by the accumulation of has been conducted concerning these problems, so there mechanically distintegrated rocks that are cemented remains much debate-and few simple answers. together. Air pollution can cause what are known as Sandstones are composed of quartz, feldspar, silicates, pollution crusts-often hard and brittle, leaving the stone mica, hornblende, and clay minerals that are cemented with beneath soft, friable, and disaggregating. They may also either siliceous or carbonate/calcite cement (see Table 1). It be known as carbon deposits. Found in urban settings is largely these cementing materials that affect the they are formed from pollution products, including longevity of one sandstone over another. -
45. Sedimentary Facies and Depositional History of the Iberia Abyssal Plain1
Whitmarsh, R.B., Sawyer, D.S., Klaus, A., and Masson, D.G. (Eds.), 1996 Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, Vol. 149 45. SEDIMENTARY FACIES AND DEPOSITIONAL HISTORY OF THE IBERIA ABYSSAL PLAIN1 D. Milkert,2 B. Alonso,3 L. Liu,4 X. Zhao,5 M. Comas,6 and E. de Kaenel4 ABSTRACT During Leg 149, a transect of five sites (Sites 897 to 901) was cored across the rifted continental margin off the west coast of Portugal. Lithologic and seismostratigraphical studies, as well as paleomagnetic, calcareous nannofossil, foraminiferal, and dinocyst stratigraphic research, were completed. The depositional history of the Iberia Abyssal Plain is generally characterized by downslope transport of terrigenous sedi- ments, pelagic sedimentation, and contourite sediments. Sea-level changes and catastrophic events such as slope failure, trig- gered by earthquakes or oversteepening, are the main factors that have controlled the different sedimentary facies. We propose five stages for the evolution of the Iberia Abyssal Plain: (1) Upper Cretaceous and lower Tertiary gravitational flows, (2) Eocene pelagic sedimentation, (3) Oligocene and Miocene contourites, (4) a Miocene compressional phase, and (5) Pliocene and Pleistocene turbidite sedimentation. Major input of terrigenous turbidites on the Iberia Abyssal Plain began in the late Pliocene at 2.6 Ma. INTRODUCTION tured by both Mesozoic extension and Eocene compression (Pyrenean orogeny) (Boillot et al., 1979), and to a lesser extent by Miocene com- Leg 149 drilled a transect of sites (897 to 901) across the rifted mar- pression (Betic-Rif phase) (Mougenot et al., 1984). gin off Portugal over the ocean/continent transition in the Iberia Abys- Previous studies of the Cenozoic geology of the Iberian Margin sal Plain. -
Aquia Sandstone in Carlyle House and in Nearby Colonial Virginia by Rosemary Maloney
Carlyle House August, 2012 D OCENT D ISPATC H Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority Aquia Sandstone in Carlyle House and in Nearby Colonial Virginia By Rosemary Maloney John Carlyle wanted to build an imposing home, and he The source of this tan to light-gray sandstone was wanted to build it of stone, like the great stone houses of familiar to the early settlers of Virginia. A quarry England and Scotland. But comparable stone was not was created there as early as 1650. Today, there available in the Atlantic coastal plain of Virginia. For are still ledges exposed on both sides of Interstate Carlyle the only convenient local source of stone hard 95 near Stafford and along Aquia Creek. This enough for building was the sandstone (or freestone as it stone is suitable for building purposes because of was known in colonial times) from the area around the cementation by silica of its components: Aquia Creek in Stafford County, Virginia, about 35 quartz, sand, and pebbles. But Aquia sandstone miles south of Alexandria. The name Aquia is believed has its flaws. It tends to weather unevenly and to be a corruption of the original Algonquin word therefore is more suitable for interior than exterior “Quiyough,” meaning gulls. construction. Construction of Carlyle House In a letter dated November 12, 1752, to his brother George in England, John Carlyle remarks on the difficulty of building his house in Alexandria. But his frustration is blended with optimism as he writes: “...the Violent Rains we have had this Fall, has hurt the Stone Walls that We Was obliged to Take down A part After it Was nigh its Height, which has been A Loss & great disapointment To me, however Time & patience Will over come all (I am In hopes)...” Apart from this single mention of stone walls, nowhere in the letters to George does John mention Aquia sandstone, or how it was quarried and transported. -
Balls Bluff Battlefield National Historic Landmark
NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK NOMINATION NPS Form 10-900 USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86) OMB No. 1024-0018 BALL’S BLUFF BATTLEFIELD HISTORIC DISTRICT Page 1 United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form 1. NAME OF PROPERTY Historic Name: Ball’s Bluff Battlefield Historic District Other Name/Site Number: VDHR 253-5021 / 053-0012-0005 2. LOCATION Street & Number: Not for publication: X City/Town: Leesburg, Virginia Vicinity: X State: VA County: Loudoun Code: 107 Zip Code: 20176 3. CLASSIFICATION Ownership of Property Category of Property Private: X Building(s): ___ Public-Local: X District: _X_ Public-State: _ X_ Site: ___ Public-Federal: _X _ Structure: ___ Object: ___ Number of Resources within Property Contributing Noncontributing 5 115 buildings 11 5 sites 8 24 structures 0 7 objects 24 151 Total Number of Contributing Resources Previously Listed in the National Register: 10_ 7: Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Historic District (M : 12-46) 2: Catoctin Rural Historic District (VDHR 053-0012) 1: Murray Hill (VDHR 053-5783) Name of Related Multiple Property Listing: The Civil War in Virginia, 1861 – 1865: Historic and Archaeological Resources. NPS Form 10-900 USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86) OMB No. 1024-0018 BALL’S BLUFF BATTLEFIELD HISTORIC DISTRICT Page 2 United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form 4. STATE/FEDERAL AGENCY CERTIFICATION As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, I hereby certify that this ____ nomination ____ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. -
M a R Y L a N D V I R G I N
300 ¢ U.S. Coast Pilot 3, Chapter 12 26 SEP 2021 77°20'W 77°W 76°40'W 76°20'W 39°N Annapolis Washington D.C. 12289 Alexandria PISCATAWAY CREEK 38°40'N MARYLAND 12288 MATTAWOMAN CREEK PATUXENT RIVER PORT TOBACCO RIVER NANJEMOY CREEK 12285 WICOMICO 12286 RIVER 38°20'N ST. CLEMENTS BAY UPPER MACHODOC CREEK 12287 MATTOX CREEK POTOMAC RIVER ST. MARYS RIVER POPES CREEK NOMINI BAY YEOCOMICO RIVER Point Lookout COAN RIVER 38°N RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER Smith VIRGINIA Point 12233 Chart Coverage in Coast Pilot 3—Chapter 12 NOAA’s Online Interactive Chart Catalog has complete chart coverage http://www.charts.noaa.gov/InteractiveCatalog/nrnc.shtml 26 SEP 2021 U.S. Coast Pilot 3, Chapter 12 ¢ 301 Chesapeake Bay, Potomac River (1) This chapter describes the Potomac River and the above the mouth; thence the controlling depth through numerous tributaries that empty into it; included are the dredged cuts is about 18 feet to Hains Point. The Coan, St. Marys, Yeocomico, Wicomico and Anacostia channels are maintained at or near project depths. For Rivers. Also described are the ports of Washington, DC, detailed channel information and minimum depths as and Alexandria and several smaller ports and landings on reported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), these waterways. use NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts. Surveys and (2) channel condition reports are available through a USACE COLREGS Demarcation Lines hydrographic survey website listed in Appendix A. (3) The lines established for Chesapeake Bay are (12) described in 33 CFR 80.510, chapter 2. Anchorages (13) Vessels bound up or down the river anchor anywhere (4) ENCs - US5VA22M, US5VA27M, US5MD41M, near the channel where the bottom is soft; vessels US5MD43M, US5MD44M, US4MD40M, US5MD40M sometimes anchor in Cornfield Harbor or St. -
Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route
Resource Study & Environmental Assessment WASHINGTON–ROCHAMBEAU REVOLUTIONARY ROUTE Northeast and National Capital Regions National Park Service—U.S. Department of the Interior October 2006 ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT This document is the Resource Study and Environmental Assessment (study/EA) for the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route. It describes the National Park Service’s preferred approach to preserving and interpreting route resources and one other alternative. The evaluation of potential environmental impacts that may result from imple- mentation of these alternatives is integrated in this document. This study/EA is available for public review for a period of 30 days. During the review period, the National Park Service is accepting comments from interested parties via the Planning, Environment and Public Comment website http://parkplanning.nps.gov/, at public meetings which may be held, and at the address below. At the end of the re- view period, the National Park Service will carefully review all comments and determine whether any changes should be made to the report. No sooner than thirty (30) days from the end of the review period, the National Park Service will prepare and publish a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) to explain which alternative has been selected, and why it will not have any significant environmental impacts. A summary of responses to public comments will be prepared. Factual corrections or additional material submitted by commentators that do not affect the alternative may be incorporated in errata sheets and attached to the study/EA. The study/EA and FONSI will be transmitted to the Secretary of the Interior who will make a recommendation to Congress.