Wicked Good Guides / Wicked Good Guide to Boston English /

Roxbury Puddingstone

Native, brownish stone that was carved into large blocks and used to build large public buildings in the 19th century (frequently under the direction of architect H.H. Richardson). Examples include Trinity and Old South churches in Copley Square, one of the Chestnut Hill Reservoir pump houses and the Framingham train station. An outcropping of the stone has been preserved on West Street in Hyde Park.

Roxbury Puddingstone against the backdrop of the Hancock Building:
church

Comments

Outcrops of this conglomerate are the rox of Roxbury. While Boston has many churches made of Roxbury, New Old South for example, Trinity isn't one of them and HH Richardson never used it to my knowledge. It is hard (a quartzite) with flat joint faces that gave builders a smooth exterior face in the days before rock saws became common.

The brown rock of Trinity Church is a sandstone (brownstone) from Longmeadow south of Springfield. It was commonly used for detail work in buildings because it is easily carved but some zones are so weakly cemented that many details are rotted away.

Dan Lynch on January 31, 2004 05:23 PM.

would like to find out if there are still sources of puddingstone in the Boston area. Would like to use some stones for a park project.

Thank you.

Elena on January 24, 2006 02:27 PM.

The Brattle Square Church is made of Roxbury puddingstone. Trinity Church is made of granite and (as Dan Lynch pointed out) Longmeadow sandstone.

emm on March 28, 2006 06:52 PM.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, on Tremont St. in Mission Hill (Boston) is most assuredly of puddingstone (and definitely not brown, for that matter). The nearby Puddingstone Park, recently completed, even has a historical marker pointing this out, as well as large chunks of the rock itself. A person standing in the park can even notice the likeness in color of the rocks in the park to the churches towers, which rise in the view from the park.

Lou on October 18, 2006 08:47 AM.

I went to the Theodore Roosevelt School in Roxbury and my 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Pow (Pough?) told us that puddingstone was unique to Roxbury, she also told us that crocodiles really shed tears when they eat people. Sooo, I never believed either!! Until today...40 odd years later! My humblest apologies Mrs. Pow, please forgive me for ever doubting you. You were my strictest teacher ever, but also one of my best.

Robert on January 2, 2008 10:27 PM.

For those of you who are unsure what Puddingstone looks like, please go to this link. It is NOT brownstone.

(copy/paste)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roxbury_puddingstone

Robert on January 3, 2008 12:41 AM.

It is also the State Rock of Massachusetts.

Tom on May 26, 2008 02:14 PM.

Although I haven't lived in Boston for many years I remember a path that ran off the south end of Forrest Hills St. in J.P. up to the tennis courts behind the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital about half way down the path on the left side was a natural outcropping of puddingstone that was called the King's chair. I looked like a huge throne.

Kevin E. Sullivan on May 26, 2008 04:36 PM.

the roxburry puding stone is a great beautiful stone and it is great to see

angelica on May 28, 2008 02:41 PM.

Post a comment

NOTE: Due to those durn spammy spammers, your comment won't show up right away - an actual human-type person has to review it first. Sorry!