The United Brick Corporation Brick Complex, also known as the New York Avenue Brickworks, is a historic industrial site. It is located on the 2800 block of
New York Avenue, NE in
Washington, D.C.
)
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on the grounds of the
United States National Arboretum. The site sits on federal land, and access by the public is restricted.
The kilns represent the only remaining brickyard in
Washington, D.C.
)
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, and one of the few extant examples of the rounded "beehive" kiln style. The structures are constructed of red common brick, lined with heat-resistant firebrick and capped with arched, brick roofs.
The complex also contained eight exhaust stacks. There is a small gauge rail system, with a standard rail siding. A factory building and drying shed, which contains 38 drying tunnels, are also still visible on the site.
History
Rectangular brick kilns were originally built on the site going back to at least 1909.
It wasn't until 1927–1931 that nine of the now-iconic, circular beehive kilns were constructed.
Three additional kilns were built at a later date. A number of companies operated at the site, including the Hudson Brick and Supply Company and the United Clay Products Company. Locally, the West Brothers Brick Company also manufactured bricks using beehive kilns, but that operation was closed in 1942 for the construction of the
Pentagon
In geometry, a pentagon (from the Greek πέντε ''pente'' meaning ''five'' and γωνία ''gonia'' meaning ''angle'') is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple pentagon is 540°.
A pentagon may be simpl ...
.
The complex permanently closed in 1972, and was transferred to the
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, ...
in 1976. On October 3, 1978 the complex was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
See also
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington, D.C.
References
External links
*
*http://wiki.worldflicks.org/united_brick_corporation_ruins.html
*http://wikimapia.org/9905484/United-Brick-Corporation-ruins
*http://landmarkhunter.com/188865-united-brick-corporation-brick-complex/
*https://www.flickr.com/photos/ncindc/2853151036/
*https://web.archive.org/web/20120316092407/http://www.joeyablonsky.com/unitedbrickcomplex.htm
{{Registered Historic Places
Botanical gardens in Washington, D.C.
Historic American Engineering Record in Washington, D.C.
United States Department of Agriculture facilities
Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C.