The opening of a railway in 1875 meant that the Rivière-à-Pierre granite could be mined. This rock, which is twice as old as the other rocks of the Québec region, is also much more resistant. It is highly valued for use as paving stones and monument bases. The piers of the Québec Bridge were carved from Rivière-à-Pierre granite, as was the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty in New York.
The first meeting between white man and Native American, Cartier-Bréboeuf Park.
Québe Bridge
Saint-Coeur-de-Marie Church, 580, Grande-Allée Est
(Courtesy of R. Ledoux)
Building Stone from the St. Lawrence Platform
In the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, Beauport limestone was quarried and transported by barge to Québec to be used primarily as dimension stone and to produce lime for masonry work. Beauport limestone was used extensively to build the Québec fortifications. Until very recently, it was also used by the Beauport quarry, which supplied the Saint-Laurent cement factory. The armoury and several of the dwellings around Place-Royale were constructed of Beauport limestone. Later on, one after the other, the Côte-de-Beaupré, Pointe-aux-Trembles, and Saint-Marc-des-Carrières limestones, and finally the Ange-Gardien sandstone, were used for building purposes.
The architecture of the Grande-Allée Armoury is reminiscent of a French château.
The limestone trim of the Châteaux Frontenac, one of the most photographed hotels in the world, came from the Saint-Marc-des-Carrières quarry.
The origins of Place-Royale and the neighbouring rue du Petit-Champlain area date back to the early days of the colony.
(Courtesy of R. Ledoux)
Building Stone from the Appalachian Orogen
After the 1682 fire in Québec's Lower Town, people were encouraged to build stone houses. The first stone used came from the Québec promontory, right in the heart of the city, and was referred to as "cap stone" or "Québec stone". Around 1740, builders began to work with the greenish Sillery-Cap-Rouge sandstone that now forms part of the Québec fortifications and the walls of the Citadel, and that was used to rebuild the Saint-Jean Gate in 1938.
Martello Tower No. 2 was part of a line of defence consisting of four towers that was set up in response to a feared American invasion.
Today's medieval Saint-Jean Gate dates from 1938. Initially built in 1693, it has been demolished and rebuilt several times.
The architecture of the Musée de l'Amérique française is similar to that of the Maison Livernois, and both are constructed of Sillery sandstone.
(Courtesy of R. Ledoux)
The Unconsolidated Quaternary Materials
The sand and gravel deposits left behind by glacial meltwater are now the site of gravel pits and are being used as a source of aggregate for concrete and road construction.
