In May 2019, Steve Blankenbeker residing in Salisbury, North Carolina, USA kindly donated the following very interesting bricks to the Scottish Brick History project.
Below – Tiger – I work for Taylor Clay Products in NC and the tiger brand bricks were made by the ancestors of the man who owns the company now, Charles Taylor. The original Charles Taylor immigrated from Staffordshire, England about 1850 and worked at Bromley Pottery in Cincinnati. He eventually married William Bromley’s daughter. Their product was brown glazed stoneware. About 1857 Charles Taylor discovered high-temperature fireclay up the Ohio River from Cincinnati and thereabouts started making firebrick in Cincinnati, bringing the clay to that city by barge. The firm would be called Charles Taylor Sons and a few variations and was eventually sold to National Lead Co. about 1948. At that time my boss’s dad started the company here in NC. The TIGER brand is probably because the area where the good clay was mined is along the Tygart River in Kentucky, the locals there refer to that river as the “tiger” river. I actually found this brick at the old site in Cincinnati and this is as fine a specimen as there is. It doesn’t look like a firebrick, but they made other clay products as well. There are four know variations of tiger brick but all have the same tiger imprint. I think this is the best U.S. brick unique and rare.
Below – Columbus – This brick is called a medal brick, and there are maybe 12 – 15 variations. Collector Mike Corn donated this one to you! I actually don’t have this variety but have one good example on display of a medal brick. They were made in Malvern, Ohio, after 1893. This is the best relief of Christopher Columbus I have ever seen on these bricks! At the 1893 Columbian World’s Fair Exposition in Chicago, the Canton-Malvern Brick Company won the award for the “best” quality paving brick. Following that, they started putting both sides of the medal on their paving bricks! C – M means Caton – Malvern, and this is an early version because eventually the company was sold to Robinson Clay Products and later versions have R C P C on them, so probably made around 1900. This one is as impressive a U.S. brick as there is.
Below – London Fire – The London Fire is a firebrick made in Laurel, Mississippi, USA.
Many thanks to Charlie Terry for the following photographs and information. Charlie states – My great-grandfather worked at the Beaconsfield and Lefroy gold mines in Tasmania. He was an assayer. Some of the bricks are still in their original boxes and have been stored in a shed for decades. Below – An example of one…
This brick is in the possession of John Hicks, West Monroe, Louisiana, USA. John is uncertain where the Docken brick was found in the USA as he picked it up at a brick swap meeting. James Dougall & Sons Ltd, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. Alternative brickworks include: Bonnyside Brickworks, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. .
Found by Jeffrey Valli on the railroad tracks in Truro, Massachusetts, USA. Gartcraig Fire Clay Works, By Millerston, Glasgow. . . . .
Many thanks to Chris Lowe for the following information. Chris states the bricks were found in an old fireplace on his family’s property in Oregon, USA. There may be a thumbprint to the top right. Bonnybridge Silica & Fireclay Co Ltd, Bonnybridge. alt Calder Firebrick Works, Airdrie, Lanarkshire. alt Chapelhall Works, Lanarkshire. Hepworth Ceramic Holdings…
Found by Len Baird in East Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA. Len states – I have found GartCraig brick pieces in East Lebanon, New Hampshire at the remains of a former slate mill from the mid-19th century. It is immediately adjacent to what used to be the Northern Railroad which came from Boston up through New…
Thanks to Mark Norstad for the following information. . Mark states – The ‘Heathery Knowe’ was found underneath an old house in Marin County, CA (near San Francisco). The age of the house is unknown. Below – Heathery Knowe Patent Glasgow – Heatheryknowe Fire Clay Works, Glasgow. (Note – SBH – Heathery Knowe appears to be…
03/11/1934 – Coatbridge Leader – Glenboig brick romance. Knocking about ocean bed for twenty years. A fireclay brick which was one of a consignment of 47,500, despatched twenty years ago by the Glenboig Union Fireclay Company made quite a romantic reappearance on Wednesday at the annual meeting of the Company held in Glasgow. Mr Robert…
Found by John Lowe in Long Island, New York State, USA. J & M Craig, Perceton Fireclay Works, Dreghorn, Ayrshire. . . . .
Found by Chris Sakelarios in Redwood City, California, USA. Chris states – The brick is in a garden of a Victorian home built in 1857. It was occupied by John Offerman and his family from 1857 until their passing. It is still standing in Redwood City, California. I will be operating a specialty coffee house and saloon….
Many thanks to Erik Larson for sending the photos of this Glenboig brick which was found at Hadley, Kasaan Peninsula, Alaska, USA. Erik states – The brick was located at a place called Hadley. I am pretty sure this one came from Scotland with a bunch of others to build a smelter. The smelter operated…
