▁clean ing ▁and ▁then ▁re point ing ▁of ▁the ▁gr out . ▁ ▁Mar ble ▁steps ▁ ▁Mar ble ▁steps ▁are ▁frequently ▁used ▁at ▁the ▁front ▁ent ran ces ▁of ▁ro wh om es ▁in ▁Baltimore . ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁mar ble ▁for ▁steps ▁is ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁high ▁quality ▁white ▁mar ble ▁in ▁C ock e ys ville , ▁a ▁town ▁ 1 7 ▁miles ▁north ▁of ▁Baltimore ' s ▁inner ▁har bor ▁by ▁highway . ▁Indeed , ▁the ▁mar ble ▁found ▁there ▁is ▁so ▁attract ive , ▁stone ▁was ▁ha u led ▁all ▁the ▁way ▁from ▁this ▁northern ▁Maryland ▁town ▁to ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁new ▁capital , ▁instead ▁of ▁local ▁Pot om ac ▁mar ble ▁quar ries , ▁for ▁use ▁in ▁decor ative ▁construction ▁around ▁Washington , ▁D . C ., ▁including ▁the ▁Washington ▁Monument , ▁and ▁ 1 0 8 ▁columns ▁of ▁the ▁capit ol ▁building . ▁During ▁the ▁construction ▁phase ▁of ▁the ▁Washington ▁Monument , ▁that ▁is ▁through ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁the ▁mar ble ▁gained ▁in ▁popular ity ▁as ▁a ▁decor ative ▁stone ▁and ▁was ▁used ▁om ni present ly ▁for ▁the ▁steps ▁of ▁row ▁houses ▁surrounding ▁Baltimore ' s ▁inner ▁har bor ▁and ▁in ▁F ells ▁Point . ▁Sc r ub bing ▁mar ble ▁steps ▁has ▁become ▁a ▁tradition ▁in ▁Baltimore . ▁The ▁rit ual ▁includes ▁scr ub bing ▁the ▁mar ble ▁with ▁Bon ▁Am i ▁pow der ▁and ▁a ▁p um ice ▁stone . ▁ ▁S lang