September 5, 2010

The Brickyard at Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

The brickyard and its staff made the costly bricks that formed the homes and buildings of the wealthy of colonial times.  The bricks are made by hand and foot.  Virginia clay and water is walked together in a pit, much like stomping grapes for wine.  It is then placed in a mold, shaped, removed from the mold and laid out to dry.  During the cooler fall months, the kiln is fired up to bake the bricks in a week long ritual that continues day and night.
The brickyard, like other trades in Colonial Williamsburg, provides materials for use and repair in the colonial district. This year the kiln will be fired twice to meet Colonial Williamsburg's needs.
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7 comments:

  1. UnknownSeptember 05, 2010

    I like the fact that there are still things done the traditional way.
    Maybe they are done the "hard way" but they carry the old flavor with them.
    have a great day.
    Costas

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  2. Ginny HartzlerSeptember 05, 2010

    Goodness, stomping bricks into being! I'll have to show this to hubby, he teaches bricklaying, among other things. I'll bet they can never get their toenails clean!!

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  3. Pat TillettSeptember 05, 2010

    that has to be hard work, even for the folks doing it today!

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  4. Bill S.September 05, 2010

    Wonderful post. It is very interesting, these old trades. I make willow chairs by hand as did my grandfather.

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  5. JoyfulSeptember 05, 2010

    Very cool what you can do with the right mold. We are also using a mold to make stoves out of clay soil in Kenya. Come drop by my blog and have a look if you have time :-)

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  6. ruthiSeptember 06, 2010

    very interesting shots and information about brick making. the photos depict a way of life that is very interesting.

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  7. MarkaSeptember 09, 2010

    Talk about a time-consuming and labor intensive process. And yet that is how it was done for years on end.

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