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Uptown Building Stones, Saint John
Precambrian rocks can be seen in historic Uptown Saint John. The Precambrian marble quarried near Saint John is fractured and broken; it was not used often as a building stone. However, several prominent buildings do include significant local marble in their construction, most notably Trinity Church and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
Trinity Church, originally built in 1791, was destroyed in the Great Fire. It was rebuilt again between 1878 and 1880. The walls are made of grey Precambrian marble from the Torryburn quarry in east Saint John. These rocks contrast with the brown and olive coloured cornerstones and trim made from Westmorland County sandstone.
The Cathedral of Immaculate Conception was constructed between 1853 and 1885. The marble of the church’s main body was from Lawlor Lake near Rothesay, and Indiantown in west Saint John. Over two hundred stonecutters were employed for the construction of the cathedral.
The Old Post Office in uptown Saint John was constructed after the Great Fire of 1877. The building walls are constructed of sandstone from Westmorland County in eastern New Brunswick and a granite foundation from the Hampstead quarry. The mortar used to construct this building came from the Armstrong Quarry at Green Head in north Saint John.
