BRECON

Dale said...
I have a brick that has "BRECON" on it. Do you have any info for it?

Thanks,
Dale

6 comments:

  1. Dale,

    We think we will need some more (general) information. Could you tell us the nearest large city and state in which you came into possession of this brick. and secondly if there were others of that name .

    The reason I ask is that I suspect a typographical error in one of my sources. If you could furnish us with that, I'll provide the details. I have seen the brick but do not recall where.

    Thank you, Fred Rieck

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cincinnati oh is the largest city and Mason OH 45040 is where I found the bricks. There are many bricks I have. The bricks were found about 2-3 under the ground. In the same area, I found a 1800 century sharpen stone which was on the buried so all you saw was the surface. All the bricks are BRECON.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello Deb, The best I can determine is that the BRECON was probably made in Ohio ... and likely in Brecon, Ohio.

    Jim Graves, in his work Brick Manufacturers of the United States, indicates that there were four manufacturers in that location. I'll list them for you, along with dates that they were known to be in business. Perhaps , in comparing the manufacturers and their years of operation, you can approximate as to which manufacturer may have made your brick.

    C. Biehl 1892
    A. F. Bosche 1885
    George W. Bruns 1892-1907
    Heidecker Brick Co. 1911-1930

    The BRECON s I have encountered, featured raised letters, all set into a rectangular recess / indentation in one of the large surfaces. This is an ID feature frequently found in brick made from about 1895 on, in New York, and that may go for Ohio, as well. These BRECON s also appeared to have been in the hands of Ohio residents.
    An article in a Nov. 1902 edition of a brick industry publication, called the Clay worker, indicated that George Bruns's factory suffered fire damage that year.

    In what way were these brick used in your home? ... new chimney for new heating system? ... stacked loose awaiting good use? It may be quite likely that your brick arrived after your home was originally built.

    Thanks for visiting. Fred

    ReplyDelete
  4. The City of Xenia, Ohio recently had an old rope manufacturing plant demolished. The factory site was originally developed starting in 1865. The factory was called the Hooven & Allison Co. and had been idle for the past 10-15 years. Bricks were given away and the two I got match the description in your comment to Deb Hart. The only structure remaining in the brick smoke stack which is about 120 feet tall. It will also be coming down soon. I don't know which of the 10 or so structures on the site my bricks came from but I know the site was developed over several decades. As an aside, the area used to have several fields of hemp plants to supply the factory.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I live in Loveland Ohio, located between Cincinnati and Mason Ohio. We took apart a brick patio this summer and one of the bricks matches your description of a Brecon brick. I also found two Mitchell Bricks, which were from the west side of Cincinnati.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I know about Brecon bricks . They were made in brecon ohio which is a small area in the northeastern part of Hamilton County ohio. My great grandfather worked there at the brickyard.

    ReplyDelete