A few months ago we were asked to supply antique reclaimed bricks for a private residence in Charlotte N.C. Among the many kinds we've collected from years of preservation and reclaim work, we were delighted to provide our most precious, the hand made Savannah Grey bricks. Here is a beautiful pallet of them:

The history of these bricks is inextricably inlaid in Savannah's history, and dates back to the early 1800s, on the McAlpin plantation. This plantation was situated on a rare type of grey clay which was then hand-formed into these irregular and large bricks. The result was a rare non-agricultural plantation.

After the 1820 fire that devastated the city of Savannah, these bricks were made and deliver in huge quantities to rebuild the city. Because they were local and inexpensive at the time, they provided an easy solution to reconstruction, and can be found in many of the older buildings throughout the Historic District.

Because they were hand-made and sourced in a small and unconventional deposit of grey clay, these bricks became increasingly rare, such that now it's almost impossible to find them. Their shape and composition requires a special kind of historic mortar, which looks stunning when finished.

The finished product, in North Carolina is an antique chimney-back built into the guest bathroom of a renovated historic home:

We are quite proud of how austere yet ornate they look in their new home.

There are still plenty of these bricks left, so please contact us if you have a ideas for a project!