M is also for Medina Sandstone

Posted on March 13, 2016 by Kim

I took a TON of photos while out looking for my Daily Photo Challenge for the letter “M”. I opted for the fun shot of the Meggie Moo’s sign for the official Photo of the Day, but ended up with several wonderful shots of Medina Sandstone that I HAD to share!!! I kept my sandstone photo options to two shining examples out of several outstanding buildings constructed of the gorgeous stone quarried in Orleans County – The Pullman Memorial Universalist Church and the former St. Mary’s Catholic Church – the two that I feel have the best examples of rich colored sandstone.

The first grouping of photos are of the Medina Sandstone used to construct the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church on the corner of Main and East Park Streets in Albion. This church was commissioned by George Pullman (of the Pullman Railroad Car fame) in honor of his parents. It was built in the early 1890s and formally dedicated in January, 1895. It is the home of several stunning Tiffany Stained Glass windows, but these photos showcase the beautiful pink Medina Sandstone that is so prevalent in our area.

The following photos were taken of the former St. Mary’s Catholic Church, showing off a unique mixture of colorful and more typical shades of Medina Sandstone. The Catholic Diocese closed this church in 2007 and merged the congregation with the St. Joseph Catholic Church on Main and West Park Streets, creating the new Holy Family Parish. St. Mary’s was built by Polish immigrants in the early 1890s on the corner of Moore and Brown Streets and contains many incredible stained glass windows and murals. It is now the home of Our Light of Victory congregation.