A
freestone is a
stone used in
masonry for
molding,
tracery and other replication work required to be worked with the
chisel. Freestone, so named because it can be freely cut in any direction, must be fine-grained, uniform and soft enough to be cut easily without shattering or splitting. Some sources, including numerous nineteenth century dictionaries, say that the stone has no grain, but this is incorrect.
Oolitic stones are generally used, although in some countries soft
sandstones are used; in some
churches an indurated
chalk called
clunch is employed for internal lining and for
carving. Some believe that
freemason originally meant one who is capable of carving freestone.