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N. Clark & Sons

History


Nehemiah Clark, a native of Dover, Delaware, came to California in 1850. He first established a pottery plant in 1864 known as the Pacific Pottery, on the east side of Sacramento. There he made various clay products, including vitrified sewer pipe, chimney pipe, and the popular "Pacific" fire brick. In 1880, an office and depot was opened at 1047 Market St., San Francisco, where he sold fire brick and other clay products. In 1883, the San Franisco office was moved to 22 California St.


Advertisement of N. Clark & Sons. From Architect and Engineer, 1912.


In 1884, Clark decided to move his pottery plant closer to the bustling San Francisco market. After spending a year visiting eastern brick plants and sewer pipe plants, he returned and selected a site at Alameda Point in Alameda for his new works. This site of eight acres was ideal for both rail and water transportation. The new plant was built at 401 Pacific Ave. near 4th St., Alameda. In March 1886, an enormous four-story brick building, 260 feet long by 110 feet wide, was erected on the site. This required over 600,000 bricks. Spur rail lines from the Southern Pacific main line were extended to the plant to unload coal and clay and ship out finished clay products. N. Clark managed the Alameda operations while his son, Albert V. Clark managed the Sacramento plant, which was closed by 1887. Another son George D. Clark tended to the business operation in San Francisco, which by 1892 the company had opened a new office and show room at 17-19 Spear St. In 1910, the office was moved once more to 112-116 Natoma St. The firm's name became known as N. Clark & Sons, incorporated on January 11, 1889. Nehemiah Clark died in Sacramento, where he resided, in 1897 at the age of 68.


Plant of N. Clark & Sons Pottery, Alameda, CA. From Turner, 1906.


Initially, power at the Alameda plant was supplied by a 100-horse power Atlas engine. The boiler rooms contained two 60-inch steel boilers, and the entire building was heated by steam. They used exhaust steam at day and live steam at night, drying the goods evenly and thoroughly before firing. Dry and wet pans were used for grinding the clay. The machinery was set up to manufacture all products automatically, which included the "Pacific" fire brick, sewer pipe, and drain tiles. The workmen did not handle the products until they were ready to be put on the drying floors. The clay was shipped from the company's clay pit at Carbondale, Amador County, where 5 to 10 workers were employed. Additional clays were obtained from deposits in Walnut Creek, Contra Costa County, Valley Springs, Calaveras County, and the Livermore Valley, Alameda County.

By 1896, the plant had 11 kilns, two of which were 25 feet in diameter and eight 20 feet in diameter, and one 14-foot kiln. A Whiteacre machine was used for manufacturing pressed brick. Fire and face bricks were made by the stiff-mud process without repressing. Ironstone vitrified sewer and water pipes, chimney pipe and tops, Spanish roof tile, and fire-proofing were also produced. In 1896, the company added Roman brick and architectural terra cotta. The terra cotta was made in a separate two-story brick building, built in July 1896, covering 100 square feet. Architectural terra cotta of wonderful designs for building ornamentation and trimmings was glazed in a wide range of colors, the most popular being the cream polychrome finish.
By 1920, the plant had expanded to 17 down-draft and muffle kilns, two steam driers, a 500-horsepower Corliss steam engine, and oil was used for fuel. The plant employed from 25 to 150 workers, depending on the work orders, which came from throughout the Pacific Coast. A major set back occurred in July 1917, when part of the plant was destroyed by fire and the company was not allowed to rebuild until 1919 because of World War I, when such operations were classed as nonessential by the government. They suffered yet another fire in September 1927, which required shutdown during reconstruction.

N. Clark & Sons products were shipped throughout the Pacific states and as far east as Utah. This company was a major competitor for sewer and water pipes in nearly every city and town in northern California. N. Clark & Sons architectural terra cotta and face brick adorn many significant buildings in major western cities. Some fine examples of their architectural terra cotta and brick can be seen in San Francisco at the First Presbyterian Church, First Church of Christ, Scientist, St. Ignatius Church, and Foxcroft Building; in Oakland at the Federal Realty Building, H. C. Capwell, and Realty Syndicate Building; and in Sacramento at the County Courthouse. Pressed face brick impressed with "N. C. & S." were produced between 1896 and 1937. These were made in all shades of earthly colors and textures. Fire brick from the Alameda plant were impressed with "PACIFIC" or "N. C. & S." The PACIFIC fire brick was produced from 1887 to 1937, but further research is needed to determine exactly when the "N. C. & S." brand was first used at this plant. The company ceased all advertisements for bricks after 1937, indicating about when brick production at the Alameda plant probably ended.

On July 1, 1945, the Clark firm became a division of the Pacific Clay Products, Inc., based at 306 West Avenue 26, Los Angeles. The Alameda plant was primarily manufacturing sewer pipes and architectural terra cotta. It operated 13 down-draft kilns and 6 muffle kilns. The kilns were 26 feet in diameter and 15 feet high, and served by two cylindrical stacks 125 feet and 150 feet in height. Plant capacity was 750 tons of fired products per month and employed 125 workers. The Alameda plant operated until 1949, when it was permanently closed. The plant was demolished in 1963. Two years later, Chipman School was built over the former pottery site.

N. Clark & Sons Brick

Fire Brick


N. Clark & Sons "PACIFIC" brand fire brick. Donated by Stuart Guedon.


View of the side of the PACIFIC fire brick. Donated by Stuart Guedon.

The PACIFIC fire brick shown is a arch shaped brick, light buff with a mottled orange brown finish on the sides. A few black spots of iron can be seen on the faces. The brand name is impressed into one of the faces in block letters 7/8 inch high and spans 5 1/2 inches in length. The rectangular outline of the name plate, 6 inches long by 1 inch high, can be seen around the lettering. There is also a 1/2 inch wide border slightly raised around the edge of the stamped face. Length 9, width 4, height 2 3/8 to 2.


View of the face of the N. Clark & Sons fire brick. Donated by Stuart Guedon.


View of the side of the N. Clark & Sons fire brick. Donated by Stuart Guedon.

The N. C. & S. fire brick shown above is light buff with an orange brown finish on the faces and sides. A few black spots of iron can be seen on the faces. The brand name is impressed into one of the faces in block letters 3/4 inch high and spans 3 1/2 inches in length. The stiff mud process was used to manufacture these bricks and as a result, transverse grooves can be seen on the sides and ends and curved wire cut grooves on the faces. Length 9 1/4, width 4 1/4, height 2 1/2.

Face Brick


N. Clark & Sons light gray pressed face brick.



N. Clark & Sons light gray pressed face bricks in the wall
of St. Ignatius Church, Fulton St., San Francisco.


N. Clark & Sons rustic pressed face brick in the wall of
the First Church of Christ, Scientist, California St., San Francisco.


N. Clark & Sons pressed face brick tapestry in the wall of the
First Presbyterian Church, Van Ness Ave., San Francisco.

The N. C. & S. pressed face brick were made in a number of shades of color, including white, gray, buff, gold, copper, red, and brown. Textures included smooth face to rough face and mat-glazed. These bricks contain brown to black iron spots as tiny freckles evenly distributed, which is a distinguishing feature. The architectural terra cotta made by this company also displays these fine freckles in the terra cotta clay body. These iron freckles can be seen in the light gray face brick shown above, which gives the brick a light greenish brown hue. These bricks were extruded in the stiff-mud process, which left fine transverse grooves on the sides and ends of the brick. Wire cut faces may show curved grooves, even in the pressed faces. Velour texture was seen in some bricks. The corners and edges of the pressed brick are sharp and straight. The brand name is often impressed into the face within a frog 1/4 inch deep. The frog is usually 6 inches long by 2 inches wide, with beveled sides. The block lettering is 3/4 inch high and spans 5 1/2 inches in length. Some pressed bricks contain double frogs with the "N. C" impressed in the left frog and the "& S." impressed in the right frog. Impressions of the screws from the name plate may be present. The pressed brick has a range of sizes. Length 7 7/8 - 8 1/4, width 3 5/8 - 4, height 1 7/8 - 2 1/4.


N. Clark & Sons brick displaying double square frogs. Courtesy of Steve Curtiss.



Source

Architect and Engineer, Sept. 1912, p. 15, 93.

Aubury, Lewis E. "The Structural and Industrial Materials of California." California State Mining Bureau Bulletin 38, 1906, p. 202.

California Journal of Mines and Geology, v. 46, no. 2, 1950.

California State Mining Bureau Rept. 4, 1883, p. 142.

California State Mining Bureau Rept. 12, 1894, p. 381.

California State Mining Bureau Rept. 13, 1896, p. 613.

California State Mining Bureau Rept. 17, 1920, p. 19.

California State Mining Bureau Preliminary Report 7, 1920, p. 36-37.

Clay Record, July 14, 1896, p. 26.

Dietrich, Waldemar F. "The Clay Resources and the Ceramic Industry of California." California State Mining Bureau Bulletin 99, 1928, p. 40.

Merlin Imelda, "Alameda A Geographical History," 1977, p. 81.

Oakland Tribune, Illustrated Special Edition, January 1888, p. 68.

Oakland Tribune, January 20, 1887, p. 41.

Sacramento City Cemetery 1849-2000 Index.

San Francisco City Directories, 1907-1962.

Turner, Mort D. "Clay and the Ceramic Industry of the San Francisco Bay Counties." California Division of Mines Bulletin 154, 1951, p. 252.

Wright, George F. "History of Sacramento County, California" Thompson and West, 1880.

Copyright © 2005 Dan Mosier

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