This report provides the baseline analytical characterization of the surface and bulk of freshly quarried Salem Limestone, and also the evaluation of several analytical techniques applied to rock weathering studies. The materials examined were selected from: (1) a control block which is being used in the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP), and (2) from the stone yard at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. The surface analytical techniques evaluated included laser ionization mass spectroscopy (LIMS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), scanning Auger microscopy (SAM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). In the exposed limestone from the Washington National Cathedral stone yard, there is no evidence of near-surface sulfur, nitrogen or lead, elements often associated with anthropogenic activities.