Name/Title
S05.23.026Description
An example of an Ohio paving brick. A salt-glazed Nelsonville Block made by the Nelsonville Brick Company at Nelsonville, Athens County, Ohio. Brick industry companies throughout Ohio produced bricks that would include lettering with backward characters, which may or may not have been intentional. The letters "s" and "n" seem to have caused the most problems and occur backward in words the most often. Examples of both letters in reverse can be seen on this paver example. The image was taken by Michael D. Williams in the summer of 1999. Location given is the place where the private collection of bricks was stored in Oak Hill, Jackson County, Ohio.
REVIEW
The location given for the brick samples is not for where the brick was originally produced. These bricks came from the private collection of Steven D. Blankenbeker and were photographed by Ohio Department of Natural Resources Communications Group photographer Michael D. Williams for the 1998 Report on Ohio Mineral Industries. The location given for the images is where Michael D. Williams photographed them at Steven D. Blankenbeker's place of employment, Cedar Heights Clay Company in Oak Hill, Jackson County, Ohio. The brick collection no longer exists. Bricks were given away by Mr. Blankenbeker before a move out of state.
For information about the brick industry in Ohio, see: The Paving Brick Industry in Ohio by Steven D. Blankenbeker (Ohio Division of Geological Survey, Report on Ohio Mineral Industries, 1998). or: The Paving Brick Industry in Ohio by Steven D. Blankenbeker (Ohio Division of Geological Survey, Ohio Geology Newsletter, 1999, No.3).
This slide image included in the USGS National Digital Catalog for NGGDPP Grant G15AP00115 in FY2015.Context
Up-close view of brick with "Nelsonville Block" engraved. From Nelsonville Brick Company in Nelsonville, Ohio.