“Sandstone from the Moenkopi formation (Triassic) has been used extensively for construction in Northern Arizona and has been shipped out of Arizona as building stone…Fairly new buildings on the campus of Arizona State College at Flagstaff are made of sandstone from the Moenkopi formation.”
Master stonecutter William England oversaw construction of the Coconino County Courthouse) built it in 1902, using Coconino and Moenkopi sandstone to create a striking red-and-white-patterned exterior….”
The photograph caption on pp. 13 states: “Old and new – Tower of Moenkopi sandstone, and new wall of Coconino sandstone.”
When I first found the England House online, it was known as Lynn’s Inn Bed & Breakfast. It was described as an historical sandstone house built by owned and built by a local stone cutter. The information about the England House Bed and Breakfast stated: “(The England House) is listed on the National Historic Register, is centrally located in Flagstaff, just a short walk to the Downtown Main Street Historic District…This unique (Victorian) sandstone two-story homestead style home was built in 1902 from materials excavated from a local (sandstone) quarry by the England family.” Laurel and Richard Dunn took over the house in 2003.
The England house belonged to William England and Barbara Michelbach-England. Coconino and Moenkopi sandstones were used by William England, a master stone cutter, to build the house about 1902.
“The nine-story, 300-foot long building showcases red Arizona sandstone on the full front of the building, which is the primary entrance…‘Each piece of stone was either 30 x 48 inches or 24 x 36 inches, and they were set on with kerf cut wire clips in a fairly traditional manner. The stone is anchored to a sub-structure of steel studs and water-resistant sheathing. The masons worked their way from top to bottom. The dimensional stone was cut at the quarry, but the anchor kerf slots were cut onsite.’”
According to this article, Arizona “contains an unlimited supply of granite as a rock type…For many years, granite has been used as a building stone and for monuments within Arizona, but out-of-state markets have not been developed. Probably the largest use has been for public buildings, such as the Yavapai County Court House in Prescott, and parts of the state capitol in Phoenix.”
The building of the capitol was built with Arizona stone. The foundation was built using Malapai rock from Camelback Mountain; the first floor was built with granite from South Mountain; and the second, third, and fourth floors were built with tuff (or tufa-stone) from Yavapai County. (The Teacher Resource Guide covers the history of Arizona, including the Arizona State Capitol.)
According to this article, Arizona “contains an unlimited supply of granite as a rock type…For many years, granite has been used as a building stone and for monuments within Arizona, but out-of-state markets have not been developed. Probably the largest use has been for public buildings, such as the Yavapai County Court House in Prescott, and parts of the state capitol in Phoenix.”
At Wupatki National Monument, the buildings in the historic district are made of the red Early Triassic (locally quarried) Moenkopi sandstone.
The McGilvray-Raymond Granite Company provided Arizona Sandstone for the construction of the United States Post Office, according to “The McGilvray Family History.”
The McGilvray-Raymond Granite Company provided Arizona Sandstone for the construction of the Golden Gate Park Lodge, according to “The McGilvray Family History.”
The McGilvray-Raymond Granite Company provided Arizona Sandstone for the construction of the Pacific Union Club, according to “The McGilvray Family History.”
The following text below was taken from a plaque mounted on a boulder at the Orange County Courthouse:
“Orange County Courthouse built in 1900 of Arizona red sandstone, this is the oldest existing county courthouse in southern California. Significant and far-reaching court decisions were handed down here, including the ‘Whipstock’ case which dealt with slant oil drilling, interpretation of farm labor law, and the Overell trial resulting in law regulating explosives.
“California Registered Historical Landmark 837
“Plaque placed by the Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Orange County Board of Supervisors and Let’s Improve Santa Ana (U.S.A.)
“March 11, 1970”
According to David L. Wilkinson, the Farmers and Merchants Bank was “dressed in red Arizona sandstone.” It was constructed in 1894 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, designed by Joseph Hall. The Farmers and Merchants’ Bank building, which had undergone name changes through the years, was demolished in 1970.
According to the article, “Marble Quarrying in Arizona” (in PDF format) (published in Mine and Quarry magazine, Sullivan Machinery Co., Publisher, Chicago, Illinois, Vol. V., No. 2, October 1910, pp. 440-443), the first National Bank building in Denver, Colorado, and the bank buildings at Champaign, Illinois, and Missoula, Montana, were constructed of this Arizona marble.
According to the article, “Marble Quarrying in Arizona” (in PDF format) (published in Mine and Quarry magazine, Sullivan Machinery Co., Publisher, Chicago, Illinois, Vol. V. No. 2, October 1910, pp. 440-443), the first National Bank building in Denver, Colorado, and the bank buildings at Champaign, Illinois, and Missoula, Montana, were constructed of this Arizona marble.
According to the article, “Marble Quarrying in Arizona” (in PDF format) (published in Mine and Quarry magazine, Sullivan Machinery Co., Publisher, Chicago, Illinois, Vol. V. No. 2, October 1910, pp. 440-443), the first National Bank building in Denver, Colorado, and the bank buildings at Champaign, Illinois, and Missoula, Montana, were constructed of this Arizona marble.
The National Park Service web site presents the memorial stones in placed in the interior of the Washington Monument. The Arizona Memorial Stone can be viewed on the National Park Service’s web site in either the “Album” or the “Slide Show.”
The information and photograph of the stone from Alaska for the Washington Monument can found in “WAMO Stones Section 5.”
Below is an description that was available on the National Park Service web site in January 2008 that describes the Memorial Stones in the Washington Monument.
“A unique feature of the Washington Monument is the 193 memorial stones that adorn the interior of the monument. Starting in July 1848 the Washington National Monument Society invited states, cities and patriotic societies to contribute Memorial Stones. The Society listed some requirements to be followed. They asked that the stone be durable, a product of the state’s soil, and meet the following dimensions; four feet long, two feet high and 18 inches thick. These stones pay tribute to the character and achievements of George Washington. These traits are not only admired by Americans but by people the world over as seen by the number of stones donated by foreign countries....”
“While viewing the stones please keep in mind that the Washington Monument has undergone extensive renovation over the last three years. A key component of the project has been the restoration of the memorial stones. Over the years the stones have been damaged by moisture and vandalism. The pictures that follow show the condition of the stones before their restoration. In the upcoming months new images will be added highlighting the restored stones.”
The following information regarding the stone and photograph of the stone from Alaska in the Washington Monument can be found in WAMO Stones Section 5:
“4. Later Installations, 1913-2000
“In 1911, prompted by the fact that many western states were not represented in the monument, the Washington National Monument Society sent letters to these states requesting stones and providing instructions on size and guidelines for appearance (Figure 15). Between 1913 and 1928, Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas, South Dakota, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Idaho sent stones that were installed between the 290-ft. and 400-ft. levels.”
Name: Arizona
Level: 320-ft.
Donor: State of Arizona
Dates: 1924/1924
Original materials: petrified wood, resin fills, gold leaf in letters
Dimensions: 2’ x 4’ 10”
Sculptor/Carver: not known
Original inscription: Arizona
Documented material history:
• 1920: “There seems to have been trouble in orating [should be crating?] the rough stone for shipment to Los Angeles where it was to be cut and polished.” [MR]
• 1924: “The patriotic work entrusted to us, the Daughters of the American Revolution of Arizona by our governor and State Legislature of financing and placing of Arizona’s State stone of petrified wood in the Washington Monument...was completed on Tuesday, April 15, 1924.” [Nina Roberts Smith, “Report of Arizona State Regent,” in Proceedings of the Thirty-third Continental Congress of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Washington, DC, April 14-19, 1924, p. 227.]
• 1939: “...[The Arizona stone] consists of three united cross sections of polished petrified wood with the word ‘Arizona’ written horizontally across the whole and the letters painted with gold leaf. It was seen that the lettering does not now have its original brightness and really needs renewal or freshening up a bit.” [“Arizona’s Contribution to the Washington Monument,” Extension of remarks of Hon. John R. Murdock of Arizona in the House of Representatives, February 15, 1939, Appendix to the Congressional Record, p. 542.]
• 1939: “The Arizona Society of Washington, in conjunction with the National Park Service, will reletter the Arizona stone in the Washington Monument at 2 p.m. Saturday.” [“To Re-Letter Stone,” newspaper clipping, February 16, 1939 ; Entry 452, RG 42, NAB.]
Additional documented material information: “The three logs of petrified wood come from the Chalcedony Forest, Holbrook, Arizona.” [MR]
Images:
• 1957 Allen photograph
• 1974 photograph
• 1980 photograph
Commercial use of material within this site is strictly prohibited. It is not to be captured, reworked, and placed inside another web site ©. All rights reserved. Peggy B. and George (Pat) Perazzo.