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Hydraulic-Press Brick Company

 Organization

Dates

  • Existence: 1868

Biography

The Hydraulic-Press Brick Co. was a brick business founded in St. Louis and incorporated in 1868. Known for pivoting to and developing the hydraulic press to produce bricks by machine rather than hand-press, the company was able to manufacture and distribute millions of bricks per year locally and nationally with the newer technology. The company produced "Hy-Tex" bricks that were stronger, denser, and more durable than hand-pressed bricks, with expanded possibilities for more decorative faces. The first president of the company was Edward Canfield Sterling, who was succeeded by Henry Ware Eliot, T.S. Eliot's father, in 1905. The company had numerous branches throughout the United States. In the 1970s, it shifted from its origins in brickmaking to the concrete industry.

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

Brick Industry Collection

 Collection — Box: 1
Identifier: 601.4
Scope and Contents The Brick Industry Collection contains booklets, photographs, certificates, and correspondence that provide insight on the manufacturing, distribution, and sale of bricks from the 1880s into the early 20th century. Many of the materials are from the local Hydraulic-Press Brick Company of St. Louis, a prominent business founded in 1868 and later owned by Henry W. Eliot, T.S. Eliot’s father. The company is known for its use and development of the hydraulic press, which allowed for the mass...
Dates: 1883 - 1983
Found in: Saint Louis University Archives / Brick Industry Collection

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