PI-60 Building Stones of Downtown Salt Lake City, A Walking Tour
201 South Main Street
The hue of the pink-colored granite facade on this building seems to vary from light pink to russet depending on lighting conditions and the angle of the sun. As you get closer you can see the large individual pink crystals of potassium feldspar.
This granite was quarried at Granite Mountain near Marble Falls, Texas and is part of the Town Mountain Granite. This granite began as molten material that intruded the earth's crust about one billion years ago and then slowly cooled and hardened. Quarry operations at Granite Mountain began in 1882, and in 1885 the quarry owners donated 15,700 railroad carloads of granite to construct the Texas State Capitol in Austin.
East of this pyramid-topped building is the Gallivan Plaza, an open space within the city where people can relax and enjoy watching birds in the small aviary, playing chess, eating lunch on one of the many benches, attending lectures and concerts, sailing toy boats on the pond in summer, or ice skating in winter.
As you continue south on Main Street, glance across the street at the David Keith building.