Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-09-29
Our Boston letter.

BOSTON, Sept. %.
Editor Rutland Herald An occasion
al visitor to this city, and indeed any
other growing place of magnitude, if it
be an old city, Is likely to have his atten-
tion called to many rapid and marked
changes in the outward appearance of the
streets and buildings, public and private.
Ia the outward design and appearance of
buildings of all kinds, as we'll as the ma
terial of which they are made, fashion
seems to have great influence, as it does
in personal matters. There was period,
no doubt, in the history of this city, when
wood was universally used. But very
early in its history bricks came into use,
which in some instances were imported.
And until within few years there were
many old houses scattered here and there,
whose bricks and thing had foreign ep-
appearance. Within this century granite
has come into use, chiefly of the dark
gray varieties, of which the town of
Quincy, seven miles from this city, on the
shore of our harbor, is the chief source.
About thirty years ago this granite began
to be extensively used for stores and
other business buildings; and in the
wholesale portions of the city many
streets of brick and wood dwellings, have
been supplanted by them. These build
ings were for long period quite plain in
design but of late the style has become
much more elaborate. Now, in material,
the fashion is in favor of a much lighter
colored granite. which is used generally
alone, but with fine effect with the dark
err varieties, where one color is made to
serve as trimmings to the other.
Our new Post Office, now building, is
to be of light colored Cape Cod granite OF
fine texture. During all this period OF
granite, the various sandstones have been
used, constantly increasing in quantity
and variety. Many of the stores in the
retail streets are made of this material
The lighter shades and colors of Nova
Scotia sandstones are now the rule, in the
place of the Connecticut brown stone, OF
which whole streets of dwelling houses
have, within few years, been made.
Now it can be said that marble i;
fashionable, and within a surprisingly
short time many large and beautifn
buildings, public and private, have beer
erected of this material. Upon inquiry
it appears that the most of them are made
of Vermont marble; and that PittsforC
marble has challenged the most attention
because used in the greater number o
places, as we'll as the largest buildings
Two large hotels in the upper part of thu
city, made of blush notified and cloudeC
marble, with an even distribution of tn
colors over the whole surface of the build
ing, and pleasing architectural design
} in the buildings, produce pleasing con
trast with the older red brick and rec
: sandstone buildings surrounding them
Middlebury is represented, in another no
, tel, on fremont street, which, thougl
small, by it's design and the beauty of it
marble is one of the finest buildings il
, the city.
= A Pittsford marble company and tn
, North Rutland Marble Company are rep
, resented by two new stores adjoining eacl
, other, in a street which, until within
few months, was one of the narrGwest an
i most disagreeable in our city. By fla
! of our city government it was made wide
| - al:o;,rr oil +ba t,;I1;poS ~, oDa s;Ja y
the street off, compelling new fronts O
r new buildings to be made. Among tn
= latter appear these two marble stores
: The North Rutland Marble Company ais
furnish marble for store on Washingto
street, near State. The most expensiv
marble buildings, and of the most elabC
4 rate style of architecture, are in or nea
r State street, and are Of marble from othe
' sources than Vermont. There are man
: other buildings now building, or soon
t be, of this material. One of the neate,
z blocks of dwelling houses in this city
+ made of yellowish sandstone, brougl
}, from Malone, N. Y. With the darke
e trimmings, and contrasted with the tret
j fronting it, the contrast in color is mo-
k pleasing. But it proved to be an unpro
# liable operation to bring stone so far, {
e least when these were constructed, nearl
II twenty years ago. But it is frequeI
Is practice now to bring sandstones frol
]. Ohio, of peculiar drab color and GOO
b durability, to furnish part of the beaut
y of buildings, by way of contrast betwee
d its color and other sandstones.
D, A great deal could be said about otht
is building stone and the fne effects tbs
are produced by the blending of tt
,s colors. There is sandstone hotel an
le stores on the Adams estate corner of TT
r mont and Boylston streets in the proce
- = zzoxkhx of MOTIF