COLLECTING ROCKS ON THE FRONTIER: INVESTIGATION OF THE GEOHERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE OF HISTORICAL ROCK COLLECTING AND BUILDING STONES AT THE MAXEY HOMESTEAD, NORTHWEST TEXAS, USA

The geoheritage importance of stones used in the construction of buildings in urban landscapes has been documented by several scholars around the world. Building stones can provide an ex-situ cross-section of geological history, and also illuminate the regional landscape’s cultural significance and its stone material.

Research at the historic Maxey Homestead (1902-1914), located along the eastern escarpment of the Southern High Plains near Post, Texas, uncovered a rock collection gathered from local sources. In addition, eastern escarpment rocks were used in constructing and decorating another house (~9 km to the north) built by the Maxey family after moving from their original homestead in 1914.

The aspects of rock collecting and the use of local stones in building construction provide new insights into the historical geoheritage of northwest Texas in the early 20th century. Results of this study also demonstrate the importance of examining non-urban and historical landscapes to elucidate further the significance of geoheritage.