The story "I" was told when TT did the Empty State Bldg (just before I signed on with them in '96) they had an Indiana quarry opened to access the original vein of stone to get the matching material for the 88 corners we rebuilt. The original quarry had become a swimmin' hole. The new corners match pretty well. Thanks. Eric Hammarberg, Assoc. AIA Vice President Thornton Tomasetti 51 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10010 T 917.661.7800 F 917.661.7801 D 917.661.8160 [log in to unmask] www.ThorntonTomasetti.com This message was sent from my PDA, please excuse misspellings or similar mistakes. ----- Original Message ----- From: The listserv where the buildings do the talking <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thu Jan 08 06:17:02 2009 Subject: Re: [BP] Blue limestone In a message dated 1/8/2009 2:00:31 AM Central Standard Time, Ken writes: The reference may be to 'gray' limestone, plentiful here in America and used in concrete as aggregate etc, that in color looks not much different than blue sandstone We have a local lime stone called Alabama Shadow stone ; (Russleville) believe it or not Cathedral St John (cathedral stoneworks ) used to own it They claim its stone built the Empire state building ..and it might be true this stuff oxidizes (Mike and John help me here ) so that it goes from a fresh faced dark tan to a portland cement color in one year ; ugly stuff but useful found mostly in border work ; the entrance to the quarry cave has a 10 meter high egyptian column carved by a Russian who was on the lam in NY from immigration and a jealous husband ; Blue limestone is French or more specifically Beligum ; it is decorative and highly prized face or dimentional stone and the more its surface is polished or worked the the soft blues come out ..(best seen in sunshine) You never see too much of it ;definitely 20's architecture or pre great war ....Biltmore may have some of it So may have Vanderbuilt masnion but its been too long for this stone guy to remember I think there was an embassy or two in the 8o's east side that had it I patched some anchors holes of it on what was then the french embassy it took all day because the scaffold was outside the french maids room ..Py ************** New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making headlines. (http://www.aol.com/?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000026) -- To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html