A well-cemented sandstone of nearly pure quartz, in the 19th century it was widely used in construction and in refractory linings for iron furnaces.

It is the earliest unit in the marine-transgressive sedimentary rock sequence deposited during the early Paleozoic as sea level rose to gradually inundate the craton of the paleocontinent of Laurentia.

Trace fossils in the unit include both vertical burrows, such as Diplocraterion and Skolithos and horizontal trackways, such as Diplichnites, Protichnites, and Climactichnites.

[3][8][17][18] Properties of the rock that give it value as a building material include high compressive strength, attractive reddish coloring, and resistance to weathering.

[8][17][18] The rock also was said to be "soft and easy to carve" when freshly quarried but "extremely hard" and "weather-resistant" after exposure to the air, but modern geologists suggest that this is a misconception.

[8][18] Potsdam Sandstone resists spalling when exposed to fire, making it highly suitable for use as a refractory for lining iron furnaces.