When Martin Bushnell set out to build a family home on Sturges Avenue in 1894, he determined to make his creation unique and lasting. To that end he purchased the glacial hill north of town where Mansfield’s famous pink sandstone was quarried so that he could have his whole house made of the fascinating rock.
Truth be told, not every block of pink sandstone in the house was dug from the Mansfield quarry. As stonecutters dug deeper into the hill they discovered rather widely divergent consistency in the quality and density of the stone. Some of the sandstone was found to deteriorate in pockets once it was exposed to the weather. It was excellent for blocks and walls, but questionably reliable for detailed decorative work.
With regard for posterity and the long-term durability of his house, Mr. Bushnell had sandstone shipped in from a quarry in Pennsylvania—known for its hardness—to be carved for the more finely-chiseled and intricately-wrought decorative stonework on the porch, eaves and windows.
Everything else is locally grown.
