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Coleman Brick & Lime Company
Milpas Street Brick Yard
History
William Robert Coleman, native of Missouri, born December 18, 1863, started a brick yard in Santa
Barbara in 1907. This brick yard, also known as the Milpas Street Brick Yard, was located on
Milpas Street between Haley and Cota streets. The address of the brick plant was 520 North Milpas
Street. In 1916, the Coleman Brick & Lime Company was incorporated by William Coleman, president
and manager, and O. E. Miller, Magnus Johnson, and D. O. Kelly as officers. The company employed
about 16 men, working five months out of the year. The following year, they produced 3,000,000
brick. The local demand for brick encouraged the company to enlarge the plant in 1917.
The clay bank on the property was 5 to 10 feet high and was quarried by pick and shovel.
The clay was hauled in a 1,800-pound car up an incline track 100 feet to a machine press.
The bricks were air-dried and burned in open kilns, using crude oil for fuel. The plant
capacity was 30,000 to 40,000 bricks per day.
Coleman bricks were used locally in the Santa Barbara and Montecito area. A couple of buildings
still standing on Milpas Street appear to be made of the Coleman brick. In 1923, John E.
Coleman, native of Missouri, born April 22, 1883, joined William in the brick company. By 1927,
the Coleman Brick & Lime Company was dissolved and brick making ceased. The Colemans
partnered with Howard Neal to form Coleman & Neal, Inc., located at 310 North Salsipuesdes
Street, Montecito. They were dealers in cement, brick, lime, metal, and other building
materials until this firm closed in 1931. William Coleman died in 1953 and John Coleman
died in 1965, both in Santa Barbara. Today, the site of the Coleman brick yard is a
car wash.
Coleman Brick
Coleman bricks in the wall of a building at 435 Milpas Street, Santa Barbara.
Common brick is orange, orange red, and red mostly uniform in color. Visible clasts are large, subround to round,
red and gray pebbles up to one inch across, becomes more abundant on weathered surfaces and in the interior.
Side surface texture is rough to lumpy. Some surfaces may be pitted and show minor cracks. Uneven edges and
rounded corners. No lip present around top edge. No description of the face is available. Dry pressed process.
Length 8 1/8, width 4, height 2 1/2.
Source
Boalich, E.S., Castello, W.O., Huguenin, Emile, Logan, C.A., and Tucker, W. Burling. "The Clay Industry
In California." California State Mining Bureau Preliminary Report 7, 1920.
Brick and Clay Record, v. 48, no. 11, 1916, p. 1054.
Brick and Clay Record, v. 52, no. 1, 1917, p. 56.
San Barbara City Directories, 1907-1932.
Copyright © 2006 Dan Mosier
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Comments or questions are welcomed.
Please send email to Dan Mosier at danmosier@earthlink.net.