This is an earthcache with no physical container to find. This is located at one of the older and more visually outstanding buildings in Kirksville. This four story, Egyptian Revival style building was erected over the course of just eight months in 1930, and sits just two blocks east of the Kirksville town square.
Please be respectful of the building and it patrons. Please avoid logging this earthcache if the building is being obviously used or is busy. Currently, I believe the building is only regularly in use on Tuesday evenings.
For this earthcache, we will be taking a more in-depth look at what makes this building standout most; the limestone blocks that make up the south and east sides of the construction.
The limestone used to construct this building was sourced somewhat locally, from just a few hours away in Carthage, Missouri. Carthage was well known for its limestone production; among other things such as lead and zinc. The limestone produced in Carthage was highly regarded as a quality building material and was used to build several buildings locally and throughout the area. This limestone is known to have a light grey tint to its color. It is a fairly hard stone with crushing strength at one time being tested at 20,261 pounds to the square inch. It is very resistant to the absorption of moisture, and weathering on this stone is almost undetectable. These factors all lead to it being a very desirable stone for building purposes.
Geologically, this limestone is highly crystalline which lends itself to the grayish color and gives it a close, even texture. This limestone is from the Mississippian Period which lasted from roughly 358.9 to 323.2 million years ago. The Mississippian Period sits between the Devonian and the Pennsylvanian Periods. This is interesting because the limestone found naturally in this area of northern Missouri is of the Pennsylvanian Period, meaning the limestone sourced from southern Missouri for this building is a different limestone and formed during a different time period than that found locally, even though these two stones are relatively near each other.
The limestone used to form this building is more specifically part of the St. Louis limestone formation within the Meramecian subdivision of the Mississippian Period. The Mississippian Period is broken up into four stages. The Meramecian subdivision is roughly the middle of the Mississippian Period. The Mississippian Period was a time of marine transgression, meaning the sea levels were rising and the dry land was dissipating. A shallow sea covered Missouri during this period. This led to the formation of much limestone as limestone is often a rock formed in a marine environment. Frequently there are marine life fossils visible in the limestone, however, sometimes evidence of a biological origin is destroyed by the action of currents, organisms, or recrystallization. The St. Louis Limestone formed through a long process of erosion, compression, and deposition of carbonate sediment in the shallow marine environment. Sediment was deposited on the basement rock by cycles of rising and falling oceans. That sediment was buried and compacted by calcium carbonate sediment. Over time, the sediment lithified and turned into limestone.
There are three classes of rock: 1) Igneous, 2) Metamorphic, and 3) Sedimentary. Missouri is home to all three, the most common of which is sedimentary. Igneous rocks are formed when molten rock cools and solidifies. Metamorphic rocks are formed when existing rocks, like igneous or sedimentary rocks, are significantly changed by intense heat and pressure. Sedimentary rocks are formed when weathered particles from pre-existing rocks, or pieces of once-living organisms, accumulate on the Earth's surface, are transported by water, wind, or ice, and then settle and become compacted and cemented together, a process called lithification.
Limestone is a versatile stone that can be used for a variety of things, from building to chalk. Yep, chalk is a type of limestone too. The most profound difference between chalk and this limestone is the density and how porous each type of limestone is. All in all, limestone is a pretty versatile and fascinating type of rock.
In order to log a find and claim the 
for this earth cache, you are required to complete/answer the following:
- Take a moment to touch the rock. How does it feel? Is it rough, smooth, or somewhere in between? Why do you think that is?
- Do you see any marine fossils in the limestone? If yes, describe one. If no, why do you think that is?
- What class of rock are the blocks used to form this building? Provide a brief explanation.
- Post a photograph of yourself (face not required) or a personal item at the site.
Thanks for completing this earth cache, and I hope you enjoyed it. In order to get the most accurate information I could, I used the Missouri Geological Survey, wikipedia, quarriesandbeyond.org, and the Association of American State Geologists as references.