Chaco Canyon, New Mexico
Ceremonial Center of the Anasazi World The Anasazi From the 9th through 12th centuries, the enigmatic Anasazi people of the American southwest built the twelve “Great Houses” of Chaco Canyon in northwest New Mexico. Sandstone blocks, quarried from the...
Sagrada Familia
The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família ( Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family) is a Catholic Church in Barcelona, Spain designed by Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Construction began in 1882 and continues today with an estimated completion date...
Quoins
Quoins are large rectangular stones used as cornerstones in traditional stone buildings. They provide structural support for buildings, particularly where rubble or fieldstone is used for the rest of the stonework. They also became an important aesthetic element in...
What Makes Red Sandstone Red?
Red sandstones have been quarried as building stones for centuries on all continents except Antarctica. An example in the U.S. is the Smithsonian Castle (left), in Washington D.C., which was constructed from “Seneca Red” sandstone. In the mid-19th century, this...