In 1861, three brothers from Montreal, Canada, came to Oakland, Alameda County, California, to
establish a brickyard. They were Peter N., Hilaire, and Edward Remillard. Their firm was
named Remillard and Brothers, and they opened an office and yard at Clay and 2nd streets, Oakland, and
a brick plant in nearby Brooklyn. In 1879, the firm incorporated to become the Remillard Brick Company. Peter N.
Remillard was president, Phillip Hilaire Remillard was vice-president, and P.H. Lamoreaux was
secretary.
In the fall of 1891, Remillard purchased the Ashworth ranch of 173 acres, located on the east bank of
Coyote Creek at the end of Keyes Street, San Jose. Today, this property is located at Remillard and
Story roads. The property had a clay deposit of over 30 feet thick. A dragline scraper and donkey engine were used
to mine the yellow clay. The clay was loaded into railroad cars and then hauled 250 yards to the mixing and
molding plant.
The plant and kiln were built in 1892. No special preparation was used. The clay contained the
right amount of sand to make perfect bricks. Bricks were molded in wooden molds of six bricks per mold. The
green bricks were then laid on the drying ground before it was fired in the kiln (see picture). One Hoffman
continuous kiln was used to fire the bricks. The kiln was inside a building 1,000 feet long and 90 feet wide.
The kiln had a capacity of 50,000 bricks per day.
This plant produced 13 million bricks per year. Since about 1895,
all of the Remillard pressed bricks came from this yard. It employed 125 men for six months.
About 1915, Remillard suspended operations at the San Jose yard, probably due to declining demand for
bricks.
John E. McNear, who had visited the yard prior to their closing, added, "The freshly molded bricks were on
small pallets that were carried from the brick machine to drying racks on a pair of moving cables.
Men put these pallets on shelves in the racks. After a few days, men would flip the bricks on edge.
When dry enough, the bricks were put in a horse drawn cart. When the cart was full, a man would
whistle and the horse, unguided, would pull the cart into the correct door of the Hoffman kiln."
About 1961, Remillard-Dandini Company reopened the San Jose brick yard. During this period, J.S.
Dandini was president, John F. Dair and Norman J. Gatzer were vice-presidents, L.E. Johnson was secretary
and treasurer, and Mrs. J. Zont was assistant secretary of the company. Operations continued until about 1968,
when the company permanently closed the plant. The remaining stock of Remillard bricks continued to be
sold until about 1973.
Views of the Remillard's San Jose brickyard. From Foote, 1888.
Remillard Brick
Common Brick
Remillard San Jose brick top face showing some overburning and minor crazing.
Remillard San Jose brick long edge.
Remillard San Jose brick end.
Remillard San Jose brick top face of red brick.
Remillard San Jose brick long edge of red brick.
Remillard San Jose brick end of red brick.
Remillard San Jose brick in wall.
Common brick is pale red, with no visible clasts or holes on the surface. Rough, gritty surface texture.
Irregular edges and rounded or broken corners. Some show prominent lip around top edge. Some display transverse mold
striations on sides. Hand-molded, sand-struck, soft-mud process. Length 8 1/8, width 3 7/8, height
2 1/2. This brick was in the wall of a warehouse at Third and Keyes streets, San Jose, and is believed to be
from the Remillard San Jose yard.
Pressed Brick
Remillard San Jose pressed brick displaying company name on one of the faces.
Donated by Sue Cucuzzo.
Remillard San Jose pressed brick in the foundation of the Remillard home, San Jose.
Pressed brick from the Remillard plant site is orange-red, straight, sharp edges and sharp corners, if not
broken. Smooth surface on sides, ends, and non-branded face. Branded face has a gritty, sanded surface.
White clay clasts up to a quarter inch across constitutes about 30% of the clay body, visible on the surface.
Transverse fine striations displayed on sides and ends. Spalls easily. Brand name is in recessed block
letters on one of the faces. The name spans a length of 5 7/8 inches and the letters are 7/8 inch high.
This brick was made in the early 1890s. Length 8 1/4, width 3 7/8, height 2 1/2.
Remillard San Jose pressed brick was used in
the First Unitarian Church, Oakland.
Remillard San Jose pressed brick in the walls
of the First Unitarian Church, Oakland.
Pressed brick from the Remillard plant site is orange-red, straight, sharp edges and corners, gritty surface.
Some angular quartz, feldspar, and clay clasts up to a quarter inch across, visible on surface. Some have thin
lip. Longitudinal and transverse strike marks. This brick was made in the early 1890s.
Length 7 3/4, width 3 3/4, height 2 1/8 - 2 7/8.
References
Crawford, J.J. Structural Materials. California State Mining Bureau
12th Annual Report of the State Mineralogist, 1894, p. 379-405.
Franke, Herbert A. Santa Clara County. California State Mining Bureau 26th Report of the State Mineralogist,
no. 1, 1930, p. 2-39.
Foote, H.S. Pen Pictures from the Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California. Chicago:
The Lewis Publishing Co., 1888.
Guinn, J.M. History of the State of California and Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California. Chicago: The Chapman Publishing Co., 1904.
McNear, John E., written communication, 2010 and 2011.
Oakland Times, 1895.
Oakland Tribune, 1887-1906.
Oakland Tribune. Alameda County. The Oakland Tribune, Oakland, 1898.
San Jose City Directories, 1892-1973.
Remillard Heiress Succumbs at 93. San Jose Mercury, July 20, 1973, p. 38.
Remillard's Romantic Dining In An Old Brick Kiln. San Francisco Magazine, May 1990, P. 55-56.
Watts, William L. Santa Clara County. California State Mining Bureau 11th Report of the State
Mineralogist, 1893, p. 374-375.
Wood, M.W. History of Alameda County, California. Oakland, 1883.
