New England Brick Company
| Industry | Brick manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1900 |
| Defunct | 1956 |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Products | Common brick |
Production output | 180,000,000 bricks per annum (c. 1909) |
The New England Brick Company (NEBCO) was a brick manufacturing concern headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. It was formed in 1900 through the consolidation of numerous brick manufacturing plants across the New England region and New York.[1] At its height, the company controlled over 30 brickyards in the Northeast.[2] NEBCO's "Harvard bricks" were extensively used in the 1910s-1920s construction of Georgian Revival buildings around Harvard University.[3]
History
The company was formed in 1900 as a consolidation of individual plants located in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and New York.[4] This consolidation followed a trend of industrial amalgamation in the United States clay-working industry at the turn of the century, similar to the formation of the Illinois Brick Company in Chicago.[1] The company underwent a reorganization in December 1900.[4]
Shortly after its formation, the company faced financial difficulties. In 1904, it went into receivership. Contemporary observer, san editor of the Mechanicville Mercury, attributed the failure to a loss of local "hometown supervision" over the consolidated yards.[2]
Despite these financial struggles, the company continued to operate for several decades. Its operations in Cambridge were extensive, with clay beds excavated to a depth of 80 feet (24 m). The Sherman Street yard in Cambridge came to a sudden halt in 1952 when a landslide buried the facility's steam shovel.[5] The company's final yard closed in 1956.[6]
Prior to the 1900 consolidation, a company operating under the name New England Brick Company had been established in the Cambridge area in 1869. This earlier entity is noted for installing the first brick dryer in Cambridge in 1884.[7]
Operations
In the early 20th century, the New England Brick Company possessed a total production capacity of approximately 180,000,000 bricks per annum across all its plants. The company utilized surface clay materials found near its yards for manufacture.[4]
The company operated yards in several states. In Massachusetts, it held yards in Cambridge, Glenwood, Belmont, Bridgewater, Middleboro, Taunton, Still River, Brookfield, and Turner's Falls.[4] In New Hampshire, raw materials were obtained and worked at Exeter, East Kingston, Epping, Rochester, Gonic, Barrington, and Hooksett.[8]
References
- ^ a b Ries & Leighton 1909, p. 12.
- ^ a b Loatman n.d.
- ^ Bunting 1985, p. 297, Note 25.
- ^ a b c d Ries & Leighton 1909, p. 112.
- ^ Waite n.d.
- ^ Cambridge Historical Commission n.d.
- ^ Ries & Leighton 1909, p. 109.
- ^ Ries & Leighton 1909, p. 131.
Sources
- Bunting, Bainbridge (1985). Harvard: An Architectural History. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-37291-7. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
- "Markers: North Cambridge: Brick Manufacturing" (PDF). Cambridge Historical Commission. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- Loatman, Paul. "Follow The Yellow Brick Road". City of Mechanicville. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- Ries, Heinrich; Leighton, Henry (1909). History of the Clay-working Industry in the United States. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
- Waite, David. "New England Brick Company". Brick Collecting.com. Retrieved May 18, 2024.