Hudson Valley Bricks
Red "rocks" - or remnants of bricks can still be found scattered along shorelines in the Hudson Valley. My newsletter ("The Brick") was named in tribute to days past of a once flourishing brick making industry in the Hudson Valley and it's impact on construction.
Scenic Hudson shared some interesting facts about HV Bricks:
What made the region a nexus for brick making? An abundance of clay, deposited at the bottom of glacial lakes at the end of the last Ice Age, about 12,000 years ago. Some of these deposits were up to 100 feet deep.
At the industry's height, brickworks were located in more than two dozen riverfront communities. By the end of the 19th century, there were over 130 different operations that employed about 10,000 workers, primarily immigrants.
Two prime reasons for the industries success: 1) A construction boom in Manhattan that led to a 20 fold increase in the number of buildings between 1790 and 1910 and 2) new building codes in the mid 19th century that required masonry construction to prevent occurring devastating fires.
By the late 19th century, Hudson Valley brickyards were supplying NYC with up to 1 billion bricks per year. The lower quality clay in the valley led local brickyards to specialize in producing molded "common" bricks for inner walls, as opposed to "face" bricks that adorn building exteriors. It's fairly safe to assume that any brick building constructed between 1800-1940 includes some form of sediment from the banks of the Hudson River.
The emergence of steel and concrete combined with competition from cheaper European bricks doomed the regions brick making operations. Hutton Company Brick Works in Kingston opened in 1865 and was the longest running brick plant in the Hudson Valley. It stopped operations in 1980, representing the end of an era.
Pic taken this past weekend:
Charles Rider Park
250 Ulster Landing, Kingston
Boat dock, playground, free. Beautiful views of Rhinecliff Bridge. Lots of bricks along the shoreline.
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Congrats - that's a big milestone checked off! Excited to see the future developments.