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The purpose of the South Carolina Picture Project is to celebrate the beauty of the Palmetto State while preserving some of its vanishing landscapes.

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Brick Factory Ruins

SC PICTURE PROJECT 1 Comment

SC Picture Project / Aiken County / Brick Factory Ruins

These brick ruins sit nearly forgotten in a patch of woods along the Savannah River in North Augusta. Once the site of two brick kilns and a veneer factory – among other industrial businesses – the wooded area has recently been scrutinized by both the city, which hopes to build a minor league baseball stadium here, and by local residents who oppose the stadium’s construction. Brick Pond Park across the street is a manicured contrast to its littered neighbor, though both are tied to the area’s history of pottery and brick making.

Brick Factory Ruins

Larry Gleason of Aiken, 2014 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The red clay that comprises the soil in the middle western part of our state was excavated for the making of bricks and pottery from the late nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth century. In fact, the ponds of Brick Pond Park were created by the quarrying of clay for use in the brick factories across the street as well as for use in jugs made for the North Augusta Dispensary and other practical pottery items. The dispensary, which sold liquor from 1907 until Prohibition, was well-known and patronized by locals as well as Georgians from across the 13th Street bridge. The Georgia counties across the river were dry, and the dispensary benefited from their neighbors’ business.

North Augusta Bricks

Larry Gleason of Aiken, 2014 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Aiken County was once part of Edgefield District (now Edgefield County), known for its famous Edgefield pottery. The abundance of clay found in the district as well as the use of an alkaline glaze made for pottery that was distinguished in its form and style. A pottery mill, pictured below, was once in use by local potters, including Mark Baynham, Jr., a fourth-generation potter in the area.

Clay Mill North Augusta

Larry Gleason of Aiken, 2014 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The mill belonged to South Carolina Pottery, begun by an ancestor of Baynham – also called Mark Baynham – in 1924 (some accounts state that he established it earlier). He rebuilt the mill after flooding – common along the Savannah River – destroyed the first one. After Baynum’s death in 1937, two of his sons made flower pots and gardenware at South Carolina Pottery throughout the mid-twentieth century.

pottery-machinery-north-augusta

Larry Gleason of Aiken, 2014 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The mill closed in 1977, and its equipment was salvaged, restored, and placed beneath the 13th Street bridge by the city as an exhibit of North Augusta’s former way of life. The mill originally was located near the bridge but moved to higher ground after a series of floods occurred in 1929. It later returned to the river site.

Plan Your Trip: Brick Factory Ruins

Where is Brick Factory Ruins located?
Address: Railroad Avenue, North Augusta, SC 29841
GPS Coordinates: 33.484621,-81.974198
What else should I see?
Brick Pond Park 0.4 mile
North Augusta Municipal Building 0.5 mile
River Golf Club 1.1 miles
Living History Park 1.2 miles
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina Bygone Landmarks
  • North Augusta Historic Sites
    Brick Factory Ruins Map

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marcyann M. Wood says

      September 11, 2018 at 11:21 AM

      Hello! I was born and raised in Augusta. My home is historic (built during the Civil War) and still there – called the Perrin Guest House Inn now – about two blocks from Augusta National. Anyway, can I buy one of these bricks?

      Reply

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    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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