Fact Sheet 2012–3044
![]() AbstractThe buildings of our Nation’s Capital are constructed with rocks from quarries located throughout the United States and many distant lands. The earliest Government buildings, however, were constructed with stones from nearby sources because it was too difficult and expensive to move heavy materials such as stone any great distance without the aid of modern transportation methods, including large cargo ships, trains, and trucks. This Fact Sheet describes the source and appearance of three local stones commonly used in building Washington, D.C. |
First posted March 28, 2012 For additional information contact: Internet: http://education.usgs.gov Part or all of this report is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF); the latest version of Adobe Reader or similar software is required to view it. Download the latest version of Adobe Reader, free of charge. |
U.S. Geological Survey, 2012, Famous building stones of our Nation’s Capital: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2012–3044, 2 p., available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2012/3044/.