Sounds like a good chapter for the History Channel's "Hands On" series, "How
bricks are made." Jules Johnson
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Used bricks out of Chicago are not all "Chicago Common".... although the
used market is the only way to get genuine "Chicago Common" brick nowadays.
Buildings in Chicago used bricks from all over the US, not just the local
"Chicago Common". It has been about 40 years since I toured a brickyard on
the South Side that was making "Chicago Common" brick so I don't remember if
that was the only yard that produced that brick or if similar ones were made
by other yards in the Chicago area from the same clay deposit layer.
"Chicago Common" is a yellow/buff colored brick, coal fired (although IIRC
at time our architecture class visited the yard they were firing with
natural gas). It is called "Chicago" from the locality it was made, and
"Common" as it is a cut brick (the clay is formed by cutting with wire to
size on machines. "Face" brick is often formed by pressing the clay into
forms and is sometimes referred to as "Pressed" brick.
"Chicago Common" was often used for the sides and rear walls of a building,
with the front being made from face brick or stone or a combination thereof.
It was not hard enough to use as "Pavers" and I don't know if any clay
deposits in the Chicago proper area were suitable for such bricks as were
the clays around Galesburg, or if it is just a difference in the firing time
and technique that makes a brick hard enough to be a paver (besides the
difference in sizes).
There used to be brickworks in many locations around Chicago (and I presume
many cities) until the economies of the industry changed and consolidation
to a few major plants in each region took place.
This consolidation was of some benefit to the railroads as the product had
to be shipped over longer distances. Face brick is selected by the owner
and architect based on its color, size, and other characteristics and
normally is used sparingly because of its cost except on very important
buildings (railroad depots and public buildings, for example). Even homes
usually used the fancy brick only on the street sides and the unexposed
side(s) and rear were local "common" brick.
Thanks,
Charlie Vlk
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