The sandstone that was used to build the Amherst Clock Tower came from quarries in Cumberland County. But how those quarries formed is an epic story.
About 500 million years ago, Nova Scotia was just crossing the equator, on its way to connecting with Africa. This movement caused large mountains, which then eroded under the sea, and were compressed into sandstone by the water. Over time, Nova Scotia continued to move from Africa to its present location. New mountains formed, pushing up this sandstone,and most of it eroded into the red soil of the area. Glaciers scraped off top layers of rock and soil, exposing fields of remaining sandstone, which was then mined when European settlement started.
Some of the sandstone is of good quality, but some is very vulnerable to wind and rain. Sandstone is better used beneath the ground.
