On my recent trip to Elephant Rocks State Park, I spotted a sign for a trail spur that lead to an old engine house, built to house the train locomotives that hauled the distinctive pink granite from the quarry nearby to St. Louis and points beyond.
I guess I assumed it would be red brick, like so much of Missouri's construction, so I was pleasantly surprised to find it built from the same pink granite quarried nearby.
In hindsight, I guess that is pretty obvious, but it is a unique structure nonetheless. Inside, the train tracks still lead away from its front door.
On my recent trip to Elephant Rocks State Park, I spotted a sign for a trail spur that lead to an old engine house, built to house the train locomotives that hauled the distinctive pink granite from the quarry nearby to St. Louis and points beyond.
I guess I assumed it would be red brick, like so much of Missouri's construction, so I was pleasantly surprised to find it built from the same pink granite quarried nearby.
In hindsight, I guess that is pretty obvious, but it is a unique structure nonetheless. Inside, the train tracks still lead away from its front door.
Such care in construction of old, purpose-built, utilitarian buildings from olden times never ceases to amaze me.
ReplyDeleteWhat could have been nothing more dramatic (or cheaper) than a wood and metal shed was instead built of 'durable' material, carefully dressed, carefully mortared - and with dressed stone sills. Much extra labor (and many extra dollars) was spent in its execution, because, I guess "Because we can."
OT, but much of the stone used in the Eads Bridge came from this quarry. Ditto for millions of cobblestones used here.