08/09/2026
Between 1870 and 1930, brick making was a leading industry in Wayne. Cathy Tobin in “Images of America, Wayne Township”, discusses how at least six brickyards were in operation in Wayne at this time. (The second photo shows workers from the Hosier Brick Company, 1910.) In Wayne, clay to make bricks was about 20 feet thick and was in high demand. Some facts about the local brickmaking industry:
--Companies owned their own canal boats. Later, with the coming of the railroad, there was a short distance to the crossing of the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad, and the New York and Greenwood Lake Railroad Companies. Switches were connected to the tracks to provide faster transportation of brick.
--Machines were initially powered by mules, then by horses, and then by steam.
--At the Mountain View Brick Company in 1882, workers lived in company housing. There was a strict temperance policy and men were well fed. There were so many workers, men were often turned away for work, (Charles Jackson, The Singack and Mead’s Basin Brickyards in Wayne Township).
--At work, there was a good rapport between men and the supervisor. There were many workers of Portuguese heritage and supervisors helped the workers gain U.S. Citizenship, (Interview with William Brubaker, Wayne Museum.)
--There was a difference between hand molded and machine molded bricks. With hand molded, there was an irregularity in size (which can be found at the Dey Mansion and the Schyler-Colfax House). With machine molded, the bottom gave the builder an opportunity to imprint a trademark. (Example- first picture from bricks at the Wayne Museum.)
--There are many office buildings, schools, and churches made from local brickyards and each have a story. For example, built in 1852, the Preakness Reformed Church benefited from a brick structure instead of a frame church. In 1930, the church burned to the ground except for the brick walls, (Charles Jackson).
(From more information on industry in Passaic County including brick making and industrial structures, please visit the new third floor exhibit “Iron Hand in a Silk Glove” at Lambert’s Castle, Paterson.)
