What is the reason for why so many different types of stone were used in the construction of the memorial?
The architects and builders of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial chose the stones not only for their aesthetic appeal but also for what they help to symbolize. The outer stonework is Vermont Imperial Danby marble, while the interior walls are white Georgia marble; this symbolizes the geographic extremes of the original thirteen states from New England to the Deep South. Inside, we find stone from an expanding Union–floor marble from Tennessee and inner dome limestone from Indiana. Since President Jefferson remains tied to the Louisiana Purchase, his bronze statue stands atop a large block of Minnesota granite with a gray Missouri marble ring surrounding its base; parts of these States had been carved out of the Louisiana Purchase territory.
