Building Materials

One of Coldspring’s most noteworthy projects is the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C. The memorial consists of 12-foot-high walls of rugged, split Carnelian granite that appears as though they have just emerged from the quarry. The walls encompass four outdoor “rooms,” signifying the four terms of Roosevelt’s presidency.

Dedication of the FDR Memorial in 1997 marked the culmination of a 20-year effort and building project of massive scope.

American landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, selected Carnelian granite because of its similarity in color to the reddish gray flied stone used on the Roosevelt estate at Hyde Park in New York. Of the 7.5 acres that comprise the Roosevelt Memorial, 135,000 square feet of surface area is covered with granite. The plaza area contains more than 75,000 square feet 2″ Carnelian paving.

Two large fountains are made from cubic blocks that give the appearance of natural material. The largest block measures 30 feet long by six feet high.

You won’t find the VM finish anywhere else – Vern Maile, a Coldspring employee, developed this proprietary finish to achieve a “just-quarried” look for the project’s stone surfaces.

A walk through the four outdoor “rooms” of the memorial places visitors in the midst of the challenges the country faced during Roosevelt’s presidency through the Great Depression and World War II. Granite walls feature sandblasted and hand-carved quotations from statements Roosevelt made during each of his four terms.

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