Rocky Roots collection

The intention of “Rock Roots” was to take a geology fieldtrip through St. Paul, to tour examples of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock used in buildings, and to reveal the extensive and diverse geological history of Minnesota.

"And so, while the city hasn't always been here, it still reflects these ancient events in the stone and other construction materials of its buildings which form an historical and geological record. The stores, offices, warehouses, banks, and churches also reflect the history of St. Paul itself and of its people. The technology and the industry that went into shaping these buildings, and the sandstone, granite, limestone, and brick used to build them tell us something of the value people placed on them. This booklet attempts to read this three-dimensional record. It describes individual building in terms of their construction materials and their style of architecture, and it provides geological back ground on Minnesota dimension stones and other building materials."