Antique Medina Cobblestone creates a permeable driveway to a sustainable country estate. (more pictures)
From Buckingham Palace in London to the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, incredible structures have been constructed from Medina stone. But its most popular use was as paving stones, from the 1830s into the 1920s.
After being discovered in 1824 during construction on the Erie Canal, Medina stone soared in popularity. More than 40 quarries operated near the village in Orleans County, New York, and stones shipped all over the world for street paving and building projects.
The same qualities that once appealed to masons—strength, durability, traction and an attractive look—make our reclaimed cobblestones a favorite for customers today. Our customers have used recovered Medina cobbles for paving projects (patios, driveways and walkways at homes and businesses), building façades, retaining walls and more.
One pallet of our salvaged Medina cobblestones includes varying shades of gray, brown, tan, pink and red, and a random mix of sizes. Cobbles can range from 6-12 inches long and 4-6 inches wide. With this paving material, you can create a visually stunning space with classic charm—a perfect place to both relax with family and wow your guests.
To discover more about the history of our reclaimed street pavers, visit the History section below.
Our reclaimed Medina cobblestones were originally cut from Medina stone, which was discovered during the construction of the first Erie Canal in the 1820s.
An excellent paving and construction material, the stone was used for roads and bridges, as well as hundreds of public buildings, churches, mansions and farmhouses. The cobblestones used for roads were often small pieces of stone left over after the larger curbing and building block was cut. Rather than dispose of this excess stone, it was fashioned into cobbles and used to pave roads.
The vast majority of these roads and buildings were constructed in New York State. But as people migrated during the mid-1800s, they took this construction method with them to sites throughout New England and as far west as Michigan, Wisconsin and Colorado.
To satisfy demand, numerous quarries opened near Medina, New York, where the stone was excavated in beautiful shades of red, brown, tan and gray. These quarries are not active today, but the stone they produced is still a vibrant part of our communities.
Long before motor vehicles and rubber tires, cobblestones were worn smooth on top by steel wagon wheels and horseshoes. For streets, cobblestones were installed using sand and small stones as bedding and jointing material, along with a mortar of hydraulic lime, a predecessor to Portland cement.