POTSDAM. — The Potsdam Public Museum will host the Potsdam Sandstone Festival on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Ives Park. 

Sandstone tours: Main St. at 10:00 a.m.;  Market St.  at 11:30 a.m.; Trinity Church at 1:00 p.m.; Elm St. at 2:30 p.m.

Live music will be in Ives Park Gazebo at 10:45 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and  3:15 p.m. 

The festival will celebrate the distinctive stone that has played a key role in shaping Potsdam’s architecture, industry, economy, and community for two centuries.

From the town’s earliest days, Potsdam’s history has been intricately connected to the colorful sandstone found beneath the local landscape. 

The story of Potsdam sandstone, however, begins long before the community itself. Approximately 520 million years ago, sandy beaches were deposited here as ancient seas moved across the continent. 

Over time, layers of sediment covered the sand, eventually forming the stone that would later be exposed by erosion.

In 1809 the Parmeter quarry was established south of the Village of Potsdam and that sandstone began to be widely used for construction.

By the 1820s, Potsdam sandstone had become a defining feature of the growing community. Potsdam’s first sandstone building, now the Little Italy restaurant at the corner of Market and Elm Streets, was constructed in 1821 as an experiment to determine whether the local stone could be successfully used as building material. The experiment proved successful and sandstone homes, stores, churches, schools, and public buildings soon appeared throughout Potsdam and surrounding communities.

Many of these structures remain part of the community today. Buildings such as the Elks Club, Trinity Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church, The Cantina, Clarkson College’s Old Main, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and The Quarry demonstrate the variety of architectural styles and construction techniques using the stone. Many buildings also have sandstone foundations.

Festival activities will include sandstone architectural walking tours, sandstone-themed art activities at the SLC Arts Council on Raymond St., face painting, information on Potsdam sandstone-related topics, a sandstone-themed musical story time, and live music. Participants will have opportunities to explore the history of the stone, discover examples of sandstone architecture in the community, and celebrate the craftsmanship and people behind these enduring landmarks. 

All events are free and all ages are welcome. For questions or additional information, contact the Potsdam Public Museum at 315-265-6910, museum@villageofpotsdamny.gov.