The materials of general construction occur in the following percentage
proportion to the total number of buildings in the cities stated in the
table below:
+--------------+---------+----------+--------+--------+---------+-----------+
| | | | | | | Entire |
| | New | Brooklyn | Staten | Jersey | Hoboken.|Metropolis.|
| | York. | | Isl'd. | City. | | |
+--------------+---------+----------+--------+--------+---------+-----------|
| No. of | | | | | | |
| buildings. | 100,193 | 75,526 | 7,725 | 20,880 | 6,284 | 210,608 |
| Brick and | | | | | | |
| stucco. | 63.2 | 30.9 | 9.5 | 22.8 | 32.7 | 47.9 |
| Frame. | 24.3 | 50.9 | 90.0 | 75.2 | 64.7 | 42.5 |
| Stone. | 11.6 | 9.1 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 9.1 |
| Iron. | 0.9 | 0.1 | .. | .. | .. | 0.5 |
+--------------+---------+----------+--------+--------+---------+-----------+
In New York city proper, the several varieties of stone are used in the
following proportion to the entire number of stone buildings:
Brown sandstone 78.6
Nova Scotia sandstone 9.0
Marble 7.9
Granyte 1.8
Ohio sandstone 1.6
Gneiss 0.9
Foreign sandstone 0.1
Bluestone and limestone 0.1
In Brooklyn, the Connecticut brownstone is the variety predominating
among the stone buildings (95.7 per cent.), and is employed almost
altogether for the fronts of residences. Very few iron buildings occur,
but over three times as many stucco fronts as in New York. The frame
buildings predominate, particularly in the outskirts, _e. g._, Long
Island City (80.5 per cent).
In Staten Island, stone enters in very small proportion into the fronts
of buildings, though commonly employed, as in New York and throughout
this district, for the dressing of apertures, the walls of inclosures,
and other masonry.
In Jersey City, the proportions of the materials are much as in Staten
Island. The selection of the dark trap from the Heights behind the
city, for the construction of many fronts or entire buildings, is a
local feature of interest.
In Hoboken, the same general features prevail as in Jersey City.
The annual reports of the Committee on Fire Patrol of the New York
Board of Fire Underwriters, for the years 1881 and 1882, have yielded
the following statistics, which, so far as they go, closely approximate
my own:
Number of buildings.
South of Canal Street 10,553
Between Canal and Fourteenth Streets 26,700
Between Fourteenth and Fifty-ninth Streets 33,815
Between Fifty-ninth Street and Harlem River 18,746
------
Total 89,814
The materials of construction for this district, which does
not include the 23d and 24th Wards, north of the Harlem
River, are reported as follows:
Brick, with stone trimmings, and, in part,
with stone facings 64,783
Brick and frame 3,616
Frame 21,415
II. THE BUILDING STONES, THEIR VARIETIES, LOCALITIES, AND EDIFICES
CONSTRUCTED OF EACH.
An exceedingly rich and varied series is brought to our docks, and
the number and variety are constantly increasing. A few of the more
important may be here mentioned.
Freestones (Carboniferous sandstone), commonly styled "Nova Scotia
stone," or "Dorchester stone," in various shades of buff, olive-yellow,
etc., from Hopewell and Mary's Point, Albert, N. B., and from Wood
Point, Sackville, Harvey, and Weston, N. B., Kennetcook, N. S., etc.
A very large number of private residences in New York and Brooklyn,
etc., the fences, bridges, etc., in Central and Prospect Parks, many
churches, banks, etc.
Freestone (Mesozoic sandstone), commonly styled "brownstone," from East
Longmeadow and Springfield, Mass., but chiefly from Portland, Conn., in
dark shades of reddish-brown, inclining to chocolate. This is the most
common stone used in the fronts of private residences, many churches,
Academy of Design in Brooklyn, etc.
Freestone (Mesozoic sandstone), "brownstone," from Middletown, Conn.,
Trinity Church, Brooklyn, etc.
Red sandstone (Potsdam sandstone), Potsdam, N. Y. Several residences,
buildings of Columbia College, etc.
Freestone (Potsdam sandstone), "brownstone," Oswego, N. Y. Part of
Masonic Temple in 23d Street.
Freestone (Mesozoic sandstone), "brownstone," in several shades of
light reddish-brown, orange-brown, etc., and generally fine-grained,
from Belleville, N. J. Very many of the best residences and churches,
_e. g._, cor. 60th and 64th Streets, and Madison Avenue, etc.
Also, varieties of the same "brownstone" from Little Falls, N. J.
(Trinity Church, New York), from the base of the Palisades (part of the
wall around Central Park), etc.
Freestone (Lower Carboniferous sandstone), commonly styled "Ohio
stone," from Amherst, East Cleveland, Independence, Berea, Portsmouth,
Waverly, etc., Ohio, in various shades of buff, white, drab,
dove-colored, etc. Many private residences and stores, the Boreel
building, Williamsburgh Savings Bank, Rossmore Hotel, etc.
Freestone (Mesozoic sandstone), often styled "Carlisle stone," from the
English shipping port, or "Scotch stone," from Corsehill, Ballochmile
and Gatelaw Bridge, Scotland; in shades of dark red to bright pink.
Fronts of several residences, trimmings of Murray Hill Hotel, the
"Berkshire" building, etc.
Also, varieties from Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, etc.
Blue sandstone (Devonian sandstone), commonly styled "bluestone," from
many quarries in Albany, Greene, Ulster, and Delaware counties, N. Y.,
and Pike county, Penn. The trimmings of many private residences and
business buildings, walls and bridges in the parks, part of Academy of
Design in 23d Street, Penitentiary on Blackwell's Island, house at 72d
Street and Madison Avenue, etc.
Freestone (Oolite limestone), "Caenstone," from Caen, France. Fronts
of several residences in 9th Street, trimmings of Trinity Chapel, the
reredos in Trinity Church, New York, etc.
Limestone (Niagara limestone), Lockport, N. Y., Lenox Library,
trimmings of Presbyterian Hospital, etc.
Limestone (Lower Carboniferous), styled "Oolitic limestone," from
Ellitsville, Ind. Several private residences (_e. g._, cor. 52d Street
and Fifth Avenue), trimmings of business buildings, etc.
Also, varieties of limestone from Kingston and Rondout, N. Y., Isle La
Motte, Lake Champlain, Mott Haven, and Greenwich, Conn., etc. Part of
the anchorages of the Brooklyn Bridge, walls in Central Park, etc.
Granyte, Bay of Fundy, N. S. Columns in Stock Exchange, etc.
Red granyte, Blue Hills, Me. U. S. Barge Office.
Gray granyte, East Blue Hills, Me. Part of towers and approaches of New
York and Brooklyn Bridge, etc.
Granyte, Spruce Head, Me. Part of towers of Brooklyn Bridge, bridges of
Fourth Avenue Improvement, Jersey City Reservoir, etc.
Gray granyte, Hurricane Island, Me. Part of New York Post Office and of
towers and approaches of Brooklyn Bridge, etc.
Granyte, Fox Island, Me. Basement of Stock Exchange, etc.
Granyte, Hallowell, Me. Trimmings in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Jersey
City Heights, etc.
Granyte, Round Point, Me. Seventh Regiment Armory, etc.
Granyte, Jonesborough, Me. Welles' building, panels in Williamsburgh
Savings Bank, etc.
Granyte, Frankfort, Me. Part of towers and approaches of Brooklyn
Bridge, etc.
Granyte, Dix Island, Me. New York Post Office, part of _Staats Zeitung_
building, etc.
Also, varieties from Calais, Red Beach, East Boston, Clark's Island,
Mt. Waldo, Mosquito Mountain, Mt. Desert, Ratcliff's Island, etc., Me.
Granyte, Concord, N. H. Booth's Theater, German Savings Bank, etc.
Granyte, Cape Ann, Mass. Dark base-stone and spandrel stones of towers
and approaches of Brooklyn Bridge, etc.
Granyte, Quincy, Mass. Astor House, Custom House, etc.
Granyte, Westerly, R. I. Part of Brooklyn anchorage of Brooklyn Bridge.
Granyte, Stony Creek, Conn. Part of New York anchorage of Brooklyn
Bridge.
Also, varieties from St. Johnsville, Vt., Millstone Point, Conn.,
Cornwall, N. Y., Charlottesburgh, N. J., Rubislaw, and Peterhead,
Scotland, etc.
Gray gneiss, New York Island, and Westchester county, N. Y. A large
number of churches, Bellevue Hospital, the Reservoir at 42d Street,
etc., and the foundations of most of the buildings throughout the city.
Gray gneiss, Willett's Point, and Hallett's Point, Kings county, N. Y.
Many churches in Brooklyn, the Naval Hospital, etc.
Marble, Manchester, Vt. Drexel & Morgan's building, church cor. 29th
Street and Fifth Avenue, etc.
Also, many varieties from Swanton, West Rutland, Burlington, Isle La
Motte, etc., Vt. The "Sutherland" building at 63d Street and Madison
Avenue, residences at 58th Street and Fifth Avenue, etc.
Marble, Lee, Mass. Turrets of St. Patrick's Cathedral, etc.
Marble, Stockbridge, Mass. Part of old City Hall, New York.
Marble, Hastings, N. Y. The University building, etc.
Marble, Tuckahoe, N. Y. Part of St. Patrick's Cathedral, residence on
the cor. of 34th Street and Fifth Avenue, etc.
Marble, Pleasantville, N. Y., styled "Snowflake marble." Greater part
of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Union Dime Savings Bank, many residences
and stores, etc.
Also, many varieties from Canaan, Conn., Williamsport, Penn.,
Knoxville, Tenn., Carrara and Sienna, Italy, etc.; used generally,
especially for interior decoration, etc.
Trap (Mesozoic diabase), from many quarries along the "Palisades," at
Jersey City Heights, Weehawken, etc. Stevens Institute, Hoboken, N. J.,
Court House on Jersey City Heights, old rubble work buildings at New
Utrecht, etc., on the outskirts of Brooklyn, etc.
Trap (Mesozoic diabase), styled "Norwood stone," from Closter, N. J.
Grace Episcopal Church, Harlem.
Also, varieties from Graniteville, Staten Island, N. Y., and Weehawken,
N. J.
Serpentine, Hoboken, N. J. Many private residences, masonry, etc., in
Hoboken. Also, varieties from Chester, Pa.
In addition to the edifices referred to above, many public buildings
of importance are constructed of stone, _e. g._: Prisons in the city
and on the islands, bridges in the parks and over the Harlem River, in
which sandstone, limestone, granyte, and gneiss are used.
The sewers are constructed of gneiss from New York Island and vicinity,
as well as of bowlders of trap, granyte, etc., from excavations.
The Croton Aqueduct, the High Bridge, the Reservoirs in the Central and
Prospect Parks and at 42d Street, in which gneiss from the vicinity and
granyte from New England were used.
The walls, buildings, bridges, and general masonry in the parks are
constructed of the following varieties of stone:
Freestone (sandstone), from Albert, Dorchester, and Weston, N. B.
Brownstone, from Belleville and the base of the Palisades, N. J.
Bluestone and "mountain graywacke," from the Hudson River.
Limestone, from Mott Haven and Greenwich, Conn.
Granyte, from Radcliffe's Island, etc., Me.
Gneiss, from New York, Westchester, and Kings counties, N. Y.
Marble, from Westchester county, N. Y.
The fortifications in the harbor and entrance to the sound, constructed
of granyte from Dix Island, Spruce Head, etc., Me., gneiss from the
vicinity, brownstone from Conn., etc.
The stonework of the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, as I am kindly
informed by Mr. F. Collingwood, the engineer in charge of the New York
approach, is constructed of the following materials:
Granyte, from Frankfort, Spruce Head, Hurricane Island, East Blue Hill
and Mt. Desert, Me., Concord, N. H., Cape Ann, Mass., Westerly, R. I.,
Stony Creek, Conn., and Charlottesburg, N. J.
Limestone, from Rondout and Kingston, N. Y., also from Isle La Motte
and Willsboro Point, Lake Champlain, and vicinity of Catskill, N. Y.
In the anchorages, the corner stones, exterior of the cornice and
coping, and the stones resting on anchor plates, consist of granyte
from Charlottesburg and Stony Creek, in the New York anchorage,
and from Westerly, in the Brooklyn anchorage. The rest of the
material is entirely limestone, mainly from Rondout, largely from
Lake Champlain. In the towers, limestone was chiefly employed below
the water line, and, above, granyte from all the localities named,
except Charlottesburg, Westerly, and Stony Creek. In the approaches
the materials were arranged in about the same way as in the towers.
Additional particulars are given concerning the quantity, prices, tests
of strength, and reasons for selection of the varieties of stone.
For roofing, slate is largely employed throughout these cities, being
mainly derived from Poultney, Castleton, Fairhaven, etc., Vt., and
Slatington, Lynnport, Bethlehem, etc., Penn.
For pavements, the bowlders of trap and granyte from excavations have
been widely used in the "cobblestone" pavements. The trap (or diabase)
of the Palisades across the Hudson, immediately opposite New York city,
and from Graniteville, Staten Island, is used in the "Russ" and Belgian
pavement; also, granyte from the Highlands of the Hudson, from Maine,
etc, in the "granite block" pavement in both New York and Brooklyn;
large quantities of crushed trap from Weehawken and Graniteville, for
the macadamized streets and roads in the parks and outskirts; and also
wood, concrete, and asphalt in various combinations.
For sidewalks and curbstones, the material generally employed is
the flagstone, a thinly bedded blue sandstone or graywacke from the
interior of the State, the Catskill Mountains, and from Pennsylvania;
also, granyte, chiefly from Maine. In the older streets, a mica slate
from Bolton, Conn., and micaceous slaty gneiss from Haddam, Conn., were
once largely used, and may still be occasionally observed in scattered
slabs.
Additional facts were given concerning the ruling prices for the
varieties of stone, tables presenting all the determinations obtainable
in reference to the crushing strength of the varieties used in New
York, lists of the dealers in building and ornamental stones, etc.