June marks the start of Indiana Limestone month! Dubbed the “nation’s building stone” Indiana Limestone has been used to build 27 U.S. state capitols, the Pentagon, the Lincoln Memorial, and countless other iconic buildings.

Greek Ionic capital installation at Civil Courts Building, St. Louis, MO. 1928

The limestone industry in southern Indiana helped propel this incredible natural resource to national stardom. After the first commercial limestone quarry was opened in 1827, limestone began to rise in popularity, exacerbated by railroad transport and the need for quality building materials to replace wooden structures.

A previously unknown collection of over 25,000 historic black and white architectural photographs were discovered at Polycor’s Indiana Limestone quarry. These images of residences, churches, universities, museums, and stone carvings, many of which were designed by prominent architects, document the use of Indiana limestone throughout the United States from the late 1800s to mid-1900s. Remarkably holistic in scope, these photographs and stories can be studied across major disciplines such as American history, architectural history, history of technology, urban studies, history of photography, historic preservation, labor history, and the history of geology. 

Construction of Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, NY 

Courtesy, Indiana Geological and Water Survey, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana

The Indiana Geological Survey, the custodian of the Indiana Limestone Photograph Collection, in partnership with the Indiana University Libraries has been cataloging, digitizing, archiving, and publishing online a growing subset of the photographs called ‘Building A Nation’: Indiana Limestone Photograph Collection 

Follow along with us online as we continue to celebrate Indiana Limestone Month and the rich heritage of limestone in Monroe County. Be sure to follow our social media channels for more fun opportunities to discover all this iconic stone has to offer.