United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions.
1. Name of Property Historic name: Chattahoochee Brick Company Other names/site number: Chattahoochee Brick and Railroad Company - Manufacturers of Pressed and Ornamental Brick, General Shale Company Name of related multiple property listing: N/A_ (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing ____________________________________________________________________________ 2. Location Street & number: 3195 Brick Plant Rd NW 30318 City or town: Atlanta State: Georgia County: Fulton Not For Publication: Vicinity: ____________________________________________________________________________ 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this nomination ___ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property ___ meets ___ does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant at the following level(s) of significance: X_national X_statewide X_local Applicable National Register Criteria: XA
___B
___C
XD
Signature of certifying official/Title:
Date
______________________________________________ State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government
In my opinion, the property
meets
does not meet the National Register criteria.
Signature of commenting official: Title :
Date State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government
______________________________________________________________________________ 4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that this property is: entered in the National Register determined eligible for the National Register determined not eligible for the National Register removed from the National Register other (explain:) _____________________ __________________________________________________________________ Signature of the Keeper Date of Action ____________________________________________________________________________
5.
Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply.)
Private: X Public – Local Public – State Public – Federal Category of Property (Check only one box.) Building(s): District: Site: X Structure: Object: Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count) Contributing Noncontributing _____________ _____________
buildings
Clay Bed-Chattahoochee Banks
sites
1885-1916 1885-1916 1885-1916 1885-1916 1885-1916
_____________
rail lines/strip footings double tramway foundation dryer/processing building foundation morrison kiln/rail line concrete outcropping Clay storage building foundation
structure structure structure structure structure
1886 Ornamental brick sample 1890-1930 Vitrified brick sample
objects objects
__8+_____
Total
______________
Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register N/A ____________________________________________________________________________
6.
Function or Use
Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) Industry: Manufacturing Facility, extractive facility Transportation: Railroad tracks, Chattahoochee River Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) Industry: Vacant _____________________________________________________________________________ 7. Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions.) No Style Materials: (enter categories from instructions.) Principal exterior materials of the property: _Brick, concrete, asphalt Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current physical appearance and condition of the property. Describe contributing and non contributing resources if applicable. Begin with a summary paragraph that briefly describes the general characteristics of the property, such as its location, type, style, method of construction, setting, size, and significant features. Indicate whether the property has historic integrity.) ______________________________________________________________________________ Summary Paragraph The Chattahoochee Brick company is a historic industrial facility that represents a holistic brick manufacturing process from silt mining to the shipping and transportation of brick. Existing structures include remnants of building or machinery platforms or footings, brick piers which
once supported the elevated rail line and buildings, and trenches backfilled with Chattahoochee brick. The Chattahoochee Brick Company is located in northwest Fulton county and is bordered by five defining features: the Chattahoochee River, Interstate 285, Proctor Creek, Southern Railway, and Parrott Avenue. The property contains several building foundations, rail lines, and ruins. The foundations are brick and concrete construction circa 1885-1930. Adjoining rail lines are primarily steel and heavy timber construction. In some portions of the site there are foundations from clay excavation rail tramways and Morrison scove kiln technology from 18851916. Scattered bricks and massive piles of bricks can be found throughout the property. Debris from the manufacturing process can be found even on the banks of the Chattahoochee River. The majority of the historic portion of the site is densely covered in vegetation from the Chattahoochee River 200 yards inward. Upon entering the site from the main automotive entrance on Bolton Rd, the primary features are the adjacent CSX railway still in operation, large asphalt covered brick staging area, and 4 large building concrete slabs and foundations from 1970-present. All sides of the site are surrounded by chain link fencing. The majority of the property does not have historic integrity due to the large surface area of site being covered in vegetation or asphalt, however brick ruins and concrete outcroppings located near the chattahoochee river sustain integrity. The company’s clay pits and excavation areas from 1885-1950 are located on and near the site in the floodplain areas adjacent to the river and nearby creeks. The majority of these areas are currently covered in dense vegetation or railway development from 1930-1950. There is evidence of tranched and dredged areas along the river and on the southwest side of the site near Proctor Creek that were used for sourcing clay for the brick making process
______________________________________________________________________________ Narrative Description The original Chattahoochee Brick Company structures circa 1885-1930 were located along the banks of the Chattahoochee River and roughly 200 yards eastward on the site. The site is dominated by two large areas; the first is a large floodplain engulfed in dense vegetation on the west and southside of the site, the second is a large paved asphalt area on the center, east, and north side of the site located above the floodplain and near the road and railway entrance (See Figure 1). The Brick Manufacturing buildings and process began in 1885 on the banks of the Chattahoochee River on and near the site around the river. Systems of shovel cars and rail lines were constructed parallel to the river (See Figure 2). This network of dredges, shovel cars, and
rail lines would excavate and transport clay to the distribution and sorting building, circa 18851930, or the 1910 double tier railcar tramway system constructed perpendicular to the river (See Figure 3)[CONTRIBUTING](Brick & Clay Record, January 1915). The clay was sorted and mixed near to the river where it was sent to the processing and brick pressing building roughly 50 yards from the river. There is evidence of large trenches and strip footings where this building or the supporting rail lines were built parallel to the river (See Figure 4)[CONTRIBUTING]. The various foundations suggest the boundary for a facility that manufactured hand and machine pressed brick and indicate a series of large, longitudinal dryers and series of rail lines that were used in the manufacturing process (See Figure 5). After drying the bricks they were transported by hand and rail cart from the dryers to a series of 12 brick Morrison Scove Kilns (Shales and Brick Clays of Georgia,1931). There is evidence of concrete outcroppings and rectilinear foundations that suggest loading entrances to below grade rail lines and kiln firing areas (See Figure 6)[CONTRIBUTING]. The bricks were fired in a 3-4 kilns rotating process where once bricks were fired they would cool for up to a week before being loaded and shipped off on rail cars to various sites around the south (See Figure 7). On the southwest side of the site, in the deepest portion of the floodplain there are ruins of a clay storage facility circa 1885-1930. The large brick foundation walls and stored clay are all that remain here (See Figure 8) [CONTRIBUTING]. Moving northeast on the site the modern rail line, brick making facilities, and large asphalt staging area cover foundations of all of the 1885-1930 administrative and ancillary buildings of the Chattahoochee Brick Company. As the site developed, and the brickmaking process was modernized, circa 1930-present, the asphalt paving, concrete foundations, palettes of brick, and manufacturing machinery took precedent over the older administrative and housing buildings.(See Figure 9)[NON-CONTRIBUTING]. The asphalt areas have depressed portions for rail line distribution that’s connected to the adjacent CSX railroad. The rail spurs entering the site served as the backbone of distribution throughout the ages. Although modified over time they connected the old and new plant to the rest of the south. The Brick making plant is connected to Bolton Road as a primary source of automotive distribution. After the construction of Interstate 285 in the early 1960’s the brick distribution process changed from primarily railroad to automotive based. The Chattahoochee Brick Company was purchased by General Shale Co. in 1970 and modern brick making facilities were created at the upper portion of the site where the concrete pads and asphalt paving currently sits. During this modern development there was construction of a new CSX rail line that runs parallel to the river over the most historic section of the site.
8.
Statement of Significance
Applicable National Register Criteria (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for National Register listing.) A. Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. B. Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. C. Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. D. Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Criteria Considerations (Mark “x� in all the boxes that apply.) A. Owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes B. Removed from its original location C. A birthplace or grave D. A cemetery E. A reconstructed building, object, or structure F. A commemorative property G. Less than 50 years old or achieving significance within the past 50 years Areas of Significance: (Enter categories from instructions.) Industry Community Planning and Development Social History Period of Significance
1882-1930 Significant Dates 1832 - Land lottery for property to Daniel H. Turner 1882 - B.G. Lockett & Co. establishes founding brick operation on site 1885 - B.G. Lockett & Co. purchase land and build small brick making building almost immediately partnered with Capt. James W. English, G.W. Parrott, W.B. Lowe, and A.B. Steele. 1900 - Majority of Brick Plant destroyed in fire and rebuilt in less than a year 1908 - Abolishment of Convict Lease Labor 1916 - Building and Equipment Inventory citing convict buildings, machinery, tramway and historic structures. 1970 - property is sold to General Shale Co. 2001 - General Shale ceases manufacturing on site and uses the land for brick storage/staging 2010 - 1916/1930 clay storage buildings and 1970’s manufacturing buildings destroyed Significant Person N/A Cultural Affiliation Convict Labor
Architect/Builder N/A Statement of Significance Summary Paragraph (Provide a summary paragraph that includes level of significance, applicable criteria, justification for the period of significance, and any applicable criteria considerations.)
The Chattahoochee Brick and Railroad Company was heralded as the single largest brickyard in the nation in the late 19th century (See Figure 10) (Bricks, 3). The Brick company was founded on the heels of the Cotton Exposition in 1885 by several major figures in Georgia and Atlanta history: ● B.G. Lockett - Prominent Textile and Cotton Manufacturer, and convict lessee. (GoodBye to Convicts, 25) ● Capt. James W. English - Mayor of Atlanta 1881, Police Commissioner 1883-1905, financier, and Penitentiary Committee 2 & 3 convict lessee, controlled nearly 1,200 of 2,800 convicts in the state, fourth national bank founder and president, and city council member. (James, W. English, 18) (See Figure 11)
● G.W. Parrott - City Trust Bank President, Prominent Textile and Cotton Manufacturer, founder of Whittier Mills. (G.W. Parrott, 20) (See Figure 23) ● W.B. Lowe - Penitentiary 2 convict lessee, President of Georgia Lumber and Turpentine Company, and financier/real estate developer. (Cooper, 20) (See Figure 24) ● A.B. Steele - Penitentiary 2 convict lessee, President of Empire Lumber Company (The Saw Mill Men, 19) (See Figure 25)
These individuals were aware of the need for railroad, brick material, and convict labor in the reconstruction of the state and local infrastructure from 1885-1908. The Chattahoochee Brick and Railroad Company became the largest brickyard in the nation as a result of the varied interests of the powerful owners and rich abundant natural resources on site. The company expanded at an alarming rate because the owners were tied into nearly every industry in late 19th century south. Ruins and brick foundations of buildings, kilns, machinery, and rail lines indicate the layout and provide insight into how vast the excavating and manufacturing company was. They secured sewer, waterwork, sidewalk, buildings, and even convict contracts to make large quantities of quality brick at a rate so cheap other brick companies at the time couldn’t compete (Bricks, 3). The company also secured multiple industrial railroad contracts from Chattanooga to Carrollton, and Columbus to Mcdonough helping connect Atlanta to the rest of the South’s industry (Another Railroad, 6). Some argue this as a key benefactor in the dedication of Atlanta as the capital of Georgia and creates a larger significance at the state and local level (See Figure 11). Brick, Railroad and Consultant contracts with popular architects and industries from 1885-1930 helped create an abundance of influential developments. Prominent architects like Faye & Eichberg or Bruce & Morgan architects utilized Chattahoochee Brick for ornamental brick in their various designs (Brick Catalogue, 23). Some of the ornamental bricks from the 1886 ornamental brick catalogue can still be found on site today(See Figure 12). The Kimball house, United States Penitentiary, Chattanooga U.S. Pipe and Foundry Works, Whittier Cotton Mills, Monroe Cotton Mills and Pratt Coal and Coke Company were just a few other clients among many others who utilized Chattahoochee Brick materials or labor(See Figure 13) (Company Financial Records, 17). The national level of significance if fulfilled through the multitude of contracts reached areas as far north as Philadelphia and Minnesota and as far south as Tampa Florida(See Figure 14) (Company Financial Records, 17) . Since their was such a high demand for their cheaper higher quality brick, the brick company had to build larger and more advanced machinery to maintain relevancy. The Brick company had to specially commission a double Lawson tramway system to distribute twice the amount of excavated chattahoochee clay as any competitor (see figure 15 ) (Brick & Clay Record, January 1915). Brick ruins of the tramway piers and building foundations still exist
(see figure 3).The large profit margins as a result of convict labor and increasing brick and railroad contracts helped build the largest brickyard in the nation. The substantial amounts of capital earned by the company helped propel the owners further into the wealthiest and most powerful of men in Atlanta from the late 19th/early 20th century. _____________________________________________________________________________ Narrative Statement of Significance (Provide at least one paragraph for each area of significance.) Community Planning and Development The Chattahoochee Brick and Railroad company holds community development significance in multiple areas. The brick company was awarded a large amount of contracts for; buildings, city sewers, sidewalks, and streets (See Figure 16) (The Sewer Contracts, 14). Incredibly affordable pricing and high quality brick assured the brick company would establish partnerships with local architects and builders (See Figure 17) (Brick Catalogue, 23). The demand for the raw materials to manufacture brick was so high that the plant decided to buy other comparable clay rich properties excavate along the banks of nickajack creek in cobb county, and south river in dekalb county (See Figure 18). Between 1886 and 1910 The brick company owned approximately; 1,300 acres in Cobb County, 2,500 acres in Fulton County, and 700 acres in Dekalb County (See Figure 19)(Real Estate, 15). This abundance of raw material allowed the company to produce nearly 200,000 bricks a day to supply large scale projects for United States Penitentiary at 1 million bricks, and a development in Gainesville in 1900 for 5 million bricks (See Figure 20) (Financial Records, 17). Fulton Bag, Monroe, and Whittier Cotton mills all had substantial contracts with the company. In fact, Whittier Mills, a nationally registered property adjacent to the brick company, was not only built with chattahoochee brick but also constructed with convict labor from the camp (A New Cotton Mill, 12). The Company also partnered partnered with Rome and Carrollton Construction Company to provide labor and materials for the Chattanooga to Carrollton Railroad (Another Railroad, 6). The plant flourished from 1885-1930 and was a catalyst in planning and development on state and local levels. The large scale brick manufacturing plant paired with an abundance of nearby clay excavation properties allowed the facility to provide larger quantities of brick for a cheaper price which impacted the development of Atlanta.
Industry - Brick and Railroad process, product quality The location was decided upon for two primary reasons; the first was the abundant alluvial clay deposits that would serve as the foundation for a strong and precise brick product, the second was the prime location between the Georgia Pacific Railroad and Chattahoochee River. Shortly after founding the first settlement Col. B. G. Lockett incorporated partners W.B. Lowe, A.B.Steele, G.W. Parrott and Captain
James English. Two of the founding partners, Mr. Lockett and English also had prior experience in the brick manufacturing industry either as laborers or managers. The first year of the small brick operation in 1882 churned out nearly 70,000 bricks daily. In the following year more machinery and manufacturing equipment was incorporated increasing production to nearly 100,000 bricks daily (Bricks a Great Industry, 13). By 1890’s the company was producing nearly 200,000 daily (See Figure 21).The Chattahoochee Brick Company utilized machinery and convict labor to produce what was considered some of the best bricks in the world. The shape was precise and structural. The composition was solid, heavy and nearly impervious to water. The bricks were compressed and fired from seven to eight days, in contrast to other georgia brick manufacturers that would fire their brick for only three to four days (Bricks a Great Industry, 13). The systematized brick making process was a complex operation of cutting edge technology operated and maintained by free and convict laborers. In the first years clay was only excavated from the banks of the river adjacent to the site by a series of steam shovels and dredges (see figure 2). However, within a few years the company was using rail and barge to excavate from other clay rich areas like nickajack creek in cobb county and south river in dekalb county. It was then transported by railway, or tramway, to be sorted, mixed, compressed, and extruded through a series of machines after which the workers would either hand press and square the corners for accuracy as desired, or send to a machine for standardized pressing. The double tier tramway brick piers and accompanying building foundations are also visible about 15 yards from the river banks (see figure 3). The ornamental and hand pressed brick catalogue was a great example of some of the quality the company could produce, and can also be found scattered around the site (see figures 12 and 13) Once the green bricks were formed, they would then be moved elsewhere on the site to dry for three to four days. After drying, the bricks would be moved to one of the fourteen Morrison scove kilns to fire for the remainder of the time. The Morrison scove kilns were constructed of solid two foot thick walls that hold nearly 300,000 bricks each (See Figure 22). The kilns were emptied weekly in a rotating fashion to maintain continuity of operations and were reportedly so hot that it took nearly four to five days for the kilns to cool. Guards assigned to the convicts were not allowed to carry their pistols in the coal, wood, and coke burning stoves where the convicts worked for fear they would discharge (Bricks a Great Industry, 13). In a typical work week nearly six kilns would be operating at full capacity firing somewhere around 2,250,000 bricks at a time. The kilns, accompanying rail lines, and equipment would have been prominent features, some ruins illustrating this process still remain on site today (see figures 4 and 6) . Not only was the process efficient but the pricing was more than competitive for the quality. Comparable Richmond hand pressed bricks were priced at nearly thirty to sixty dollars per thousand, whereas Chattahoochee hand pressed bricks were priced at only fifteen dollars per thousand. The local Chattahoochee alluvial clay was widely noted for its compression strength. Archaeological excavation and basic sitework in the areas near the river and 100-200 yards east could yield a great deal of
information to the scale of the site, manufacturing process and supporting infrastructure of one of the largest brick operations in the state, if not the country (Bricks a Great Industry, 13).
Social History - Owners and Convict Labor The Brick company was founded on the heels of the Cotton Exposition in 1885 by several major figures in Georgia and Atlanta history: ● B.G. Lockett - Prominent Textile and Cotton Manufacturer, and convict lessee.(GoodBye to Convicts, 25) ● Capt. James W. English - Mayor of Atlanta 1881, Police Commissioner 1883-1905, financier, and Penitentiary Committee 2 & 3 convict lessee, controlled nearly 1,200 of 2,800 convicts in the state, fourth national bank founder and president, and city council member. (James, W. English, 18) (See Figure 11) ● G.W. Parrott - City Trust Bank President, Prominent Textile and Cotton Manufacturer, founder of Whittier Mills. (G.W. Parrott, 20) (See Figure 23) ● W.B. Lowe - Penitentiary 2 convict lessee, President of Georgia Lumber and Turpentine Company, and financier/real estate developer. (Cooper, 20) (See Figure 24) ● A.B. Steele - Penitentiary 2 convict lessee, President of Empire Lumber Company (The Saw Mill Men, 19) (See Figure 25)
The Chattahoochee Brick Company was the largest brick company in the nation, and one of the only, in Georgia to employ the use of free convict labor. The use of convict labor was essential to the success of the Chattahoochee Brick Company, both financially and to the mass production of bricks. The incorporation of James English, W.B. Lowe, and A.B. Steele into the company served as a catalyst to the use of convict labor. Convicts lived, worked, and died on the property from the early establishment of the company in the 1880s to 1908 when the use of convict labor at the Chattahoochee Brick Company was discontinued as a result of unfavorable publicity. In antebellum Georgia, convict labor was of the state account system. In the decade preceding the civil war, the proceeds from convict labor offset the cost of operating penitentiaries. The convict lease system was an outgrowth of the civil war.In order to avoid the expense of building a new penitentiary facility to house the influx of criminals following the civil war, the Georgia General Assembly authorized the governor to “farm out the penitentiary...provided, that...a
lease can be made relieving the State from all further expense”. This made it so the lessee would be solely responsible for keeping the convicts . 1 Invested interest in convict labor was intrinsically connected to the Chattahoochee Brick Company. When James W. English, president of one of the three penitentiary companies and mayor of Atlanta was incorporated as one of the partners of the Chattahoochee Brick Company, it forever tied convict labor to the ultimate success of the company and increase of his own personal wealth. In fact, W.B. Lowe and A.B. Steele were part owner of the brick company and also Penitentiary 2 convict lessees. G.W. Parrott founder of Whittier Mills, now a district listed on the National Register, utilized company bricks and convict labor to construct his facility (See Figure 26) . The brick and railroad company operations from 1885-1908 utilized almost exclusively convict labor to produce high quality material at a price nearly half of its free labor competitors. The scale of machinery, buildings, and continuous schedule allowed the company to produce unprecedented amounts of bricks (Berry, 1). The convicts were housed on the site in a series of 12 barracks located east of the kilns near the staging, machinery, and administrative buildings. The working conditions and treatment of the convicts went widely unnoticed until the 1908 Felder committee investigation into the convict lease labor system and perceived coverups. Prison commission inspections of the site went missing through the turn of the century (The Report Senator Brock Lost, 3). Early accounts in 1885 were commendable in complementing the new tenants and supplies given to the convicts. However, as the brick manufacturing output increased and contracts became abundant conditions and treatment of convicts deteriorated. Carbon copies of reports that were destroyed revealed these conditions (See Figure 27). One of the missing reports was read at the 1908 Felder Committee which stated: We found 178 men at this camp. The men were compelled to work on Sunday and at night. We also found that the convicts were compelled to go in a fast trot, heavily loaded with brick, in loading cars for shipment, even trotting over loose and broken brick. We also found that the convicts were compelled to go into hot dry kilns which were likely to kill them. We found the food poor and badly cooked. We found the bedding in a very dirty and unsanitary condition; the floors of the sleeping apartments were also very dirty, and the dining room was unusually filthy and unfit for use for any purpose. (The Report Senator Brock Lost, 3)
1
David Berry. “Free Labor He Found Unsatisfactory James W. English and Convict Lease Labor at the Chattahoochee Brick Company”, Georgia State University, Accessed November 27, 2017.
Not only was there prison commission reports of unsanitary and unsafe conditions for the workers, but several individuals both laborers and administrators of the site came forward to discuss the abuse of convicts and possible cover up of the conditions on the site. One employee, C.D. Wortham, testified that, in 1906, during his two year employment at the camp he saw Warden James Casey “the whipping boss” whip Peter Harris, a laborer, to death. Upon reporting this incident to the warden he was “given his walking papers” (Hideous Tales of Torture, 2). After complaining to other plant superintendents he was told to write a report to the commission, to which he was told the investigator was too busy. His testimony is as follows: Dr. Green at the camp examined Peter Harris’ body and observed 25-39 lashes by Captain Casey. He was whipped twice that day, once when he was put to work at 7 in the morning and again after he had given out at work about 4 o’clock that afternoon. I found the negro with flies in his mouth and his pulse nearly stopped. I told them he was dying and they didn’t credit it. He was taken into the hospital and I had several men help revive him. The negro died in about ten minutes. Casey went off on his horse and stayed late that night. (Hideous Tales of Torture, 2) There was no evidence of interest to investigate the convicts death at the site, nor was their repercussions for Warden Casey. In fact, the coroner’s report was covered up to state that Peter Harris died from drinking too much water. There was testimony that Jake Moore, another superintendent at the camp, was quoted saying “Whatever you do, don’t let the papers get hold of it” regarding the death of Peter Harris (Hideous Tales of Torture, 2). Warden Casey was under particular scrutiny for his management and control of the convicts. It was believed that he received payment from the convict lessees for controlling the convicts. Additional excerpts from the Felder committee testimony to the conditions stated the following: “The food is pretty bad, sometimes the rules are not observed. They was[h] the bed clothes about once a year.” “ There was a fireman (coal and boiler stoker), Tim Goings, given thirty lashes once and two or three minutes later he was given about thirty more. No, I don’t know why he was whipped the second time. He did not have enough steam up in the boilers.” “How many whippings out there a week?” “I’ve seen eight or ten a day, and there were a lot I didn’t see. They’d average five a day, easy.” “Is a report of twenty-five whippings a month correct?”
“It’s nearer 200 or 300 a month” “The negroes rolling brick would be kept on the trot and were often whipped at work. The worst whipping I saw was 41 licks at a time for a negro who had run away.”(Hideous Tales of Torture, 2) It is no doubt that the conditions of the camp were treacherous and the management of the convicts unreasonable and cruel (See Figure 28). The testimonial detail from a variety of individuals of the camp testify to the corruption and backdoor deals that helped compensate some of the brick company managers and wardens to maintain a high level of production at the camp. Brick production was at an all time high from 1901 to 1909 (See Figure 29) (Berry, 1) . In the densely covered forest adjacent to the river there is evidence of the rail lines, building foundations, and concrete outcroppings that the laborers would have worked in and around. The convict tenements, various administration buildings, commissary, and other structures could lie under the asphalt paving that was constructed in the 1970’s for brick staging. Overlays of rail lines, 1907 Sanborn maps, and Google earth maps help illustrate the prospective location of these convict tenements and additional brick company buildings (See Figure 30). The 1916 Building and Equipment Inventory also illustrates the scale of the operation (see figure 34) (Building Inventory, 16). During and after the 1908 Felder committee that eventually abolished convict labor ,primary owner James W. English, realized his workforce and brick output would be drastically reduced with the implementation of free labor (1901-1910 Company Shareholder Minutes, 24). In anticipation of this decrease in workforce English sought to get as much work out of the convicts until the day of their exodus April 1, 1909 (See Figure 31). Convicts from all around the Fulton, Cobb and multiple surrounding counties throughout the state were shipped to the brick company, where they were then redistributed to penal institutions throughout the state (Exodus of Convicts, 4). Archaeological excavation could reveal an unprecedented manufacturing and excavating operation that was founded on convict labor (See Figure 34). This excavation could yield clues to how the camp operated and the way in which machinery, man, and infrastructure were combined to help produce nearly 200,000 bricks a day to aide in construction of a myriad of buildings, sidewalks, sewers throughout Atlanta. _____________________________________________________________________________
9.
Major Bibliographical References
Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form.) 1 Berry, David Charles. Free labor he found unsatisfactory: James W. English and convict lease labor at the Chattahoochee Brick Company. 1991. 2. “Hideous Tales of Torture are Told to the Investigating Committee.” The Atlanta Georgian, 24 July 1908, pp. 1–3. 3. “That Report Senator Brock “Lost” Was an Indictment of the Conditions at Chattahoochee Brick Co. Camp” The Atlanta Georgian, 25 July 1908, p. 1. 4. “Exodus of Convicts at the Chattahoochee Camp” The Atlanta Georgian, 1 April 1909, p. 1. 5. “Many Streets to be Improved” The Atlanta Constitution, 14 March 1908, p. 4. 6. “Another Railroad” The Atlanta Constitution, 7 June 1895, p. 11. 7. “Which will be used? An Interesting Paper in the Possession of The Chattahoochee Company” The Atlanta Constitution, 10 April 1889, p. 5. 8. “The Kimball House” The Atlanta Constitution, 24 November 1883, p. 7. 9. “A Big Case: The Chattahoochee Brick Company Claim That They Are Out a Large Sum” The Atlanta Constitution, 22 September 1888, p. 7. 10. “The Kimball House” The Atlanta Constitution, 24 November 1883, p. 7. 11. “Machinery and Equipment.” Brick and Clay Record, 5 Jan. 1915, pp. 62–63. 12. “A New Cotton Mill.” The Atlanta Constitution, 26 April 1895, p. 5. 13. “Bricks: A Great Industry On The Chattahoochee” The Atlanta Constitution, 23 September 1882, p. 5. 14. “The Sewer Contracts” The Atlanta Constitution, 25 April 1899, p. 8.
15. Chattahoochee Brick Company Real Estate Ledger, 1885-1910 16. Company Building and Equipment Inventory, 1916, pp. 1-5 17. Company Financial Records, 1885-1910, pp. 1-20 18. “James W. English” The Atlanta Constitution, 4 December 1892, p. 5. 19. “The Saw Mill Men; The Leaders in The Great Lumber Industry” The Atlanta Constitution, July 6 1890, p. 10. 20. Cooper, Lisa Land. “William B. Lowe's Last Great Idea - Lisa Land Cooper -.” Lisa Land Cooper, 17 Aug. 2016, lisalandcooper.com/william-b-lowes-last-great-idea/. 21. G.W. Parrott Georgia Photograph File Accessed September 2017 22. Smith, Richard W. Shales and brick clays of Georgia. Vol. 45, Stein printing Company, 1931.
23. 1886 Ornamental and Pressed Brick Catalogue Chattahoochee Brick Company 24. Company Shareholder Minutes 1901-1910 25. “Good-Bye To Convicts” The Atlanta Constitution, 25 February 1885, p. 6A
___________________________________________________________________________ Previous documentation on file (NPS): ____ preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested ____ previously listed in the National Register ____ previously determined eligible by the National Register ____ designated a National Historic Landmark ____ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey #____________ ____ recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # __________ ____ recorded by Historic American Landscape Survey # ___________
Primary location of additional data: ____ State Historic Preservation Office ____ Other State agency ____ Federal agency ____ Local government ____ University ____ Other Name of repository: _____________________________________ Historic Resources Survey Number (if assigned): ________________
______________________________________________________________________________ 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property Total Property: 80+ Historic area: 40 acres Use either the UTM system or latitude/longitude coordinates Latitude/Longitude Coordinates (decimal degrees) Datum if other than WGS84:__________ (enter coordinates to 6 decimal places) 1. Latitude: Longitude: 2. Latitude:
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Easting :
Northing:
Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property.) The boundary of the site is based on the combination of historic acreage available and the concentration of significant resources on the site. The proposed boundary of the historic area will primarily be located within two existing fulton county property lines. The first property line is associated with General Shale’s portion of the property on the center east and west portion of the site (parcel ID 17 0263 LL0304). The majority of the site is currently owned by The Lincoln Terminal Company (17 0263 LL0296). This 80 acre area contains the vast majority of the historic developments during the periods of significance from 1886-1910 (See Figure 32).
Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected.) More visible historic resources for the building can be found about 15 yards away from the banks of the chattahoochee river and continue east for another 100-150 yards. These include brick foundations, strips of brickbat trenches, and ground swells or depressions. A large portion of these resources are bisected by a CSX rail line that runs parallel to the river. As you move further eastward from the ruins the evidence, outside of the dense vegetation, there is evidence of more rail lines and brick staging areas. These areas and the corresponding administration, machinery, and convict buildings, according to the 1907 Sanborn maps are covered by asphalt paving from the middle of the site east. Although covered, these areas could potentially yield subsurface information about the original plant layout (See Figure 33 and 34).
______________________________________________________________________________ 11. Form Prepared By name/title: Daniel Scott & Caitlin Mee_ organization: _Georgia State University street & number: _____________________________________________________ city or town: Atlanta state: Georgia________ zip code:___________
E-mail: daniel.scott.arch@gmail.com telephone:_404-322-8095 date:_____________________________
___________________________________________________________________________ Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: · Maps: A USGS map or equivalent (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous · resources. Key all photographs to this map. ·
Additional items: (Check with the SHPO, TPO, or FPO for any additional items.)
Photographs Submit clear and descriptive photographs. The size of each image must be 1600x1200 pixels (minimum), 3000x2000 preferred, at 300 ppi (pixels per inch) or larger. Key all photographs to the sketch map. Each photograph must be numbered and that number must correspond to the photograph number on the photo log. For simplicity, the name of the photographer, photo
date, etc. may be listed once on the photograph log and doesn’t need to be labeled on every photograph. Photo Log Name of Property: City or Vicinity: County:
State:
Photographer: Date Photographed: Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating direction of camera: 1 of ___.
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C.460 et seq.). Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 100 hours per response including time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Office of Planning and Performance Management. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1849 C. Street, NW, Washington, DC.
List of Figures 1. photograph view of site and google earth image 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
shovel car excavation on north side of site double tramway archaeology picture and sorting facility Rail lines, strip footings and foundations on site 1911 Sanborn map and 2017 Google earth image Concrete kiln, railway, and equipment outcroppings 1911 Sanborn morrison scove kiln locations 1930 clay storage building foundation Asphalt area and palette brick currently on site
10. 1882 Atlanta Journal Constitution article discussing brick company 11. 1892 Atlanta Journal Constitution article about James W. English 12. 1886 Ornamental Brick Catalogue Archaeology 13. Atlanta Journal Constitution Kimball House and Whittier mills Illustration 14. Chattahoochee Brick Company 1886 Ornamental Brick Catalogue 15. Double lawson tramway picture 16. Atlanta Journal Constitution articles discussing Kimball House and Atlanta contracts 17. 1882 Atlanta Journal Constitution article discussing quality of bricks and processes. 18. 1885-1889 Brick company real estate maps of South River and Nickajack/business ledger) 19. 1903 Brick company real estate summary 20. 1889 Chattahoochee Brick/Railroad letterhead and U.S. Penitentiary order 21. Chattahoochee Brick Company Letterhead 22. Brick and Clay Record image of brick company Morrison scove kiln 23. AJC, G.W. Parrott image & biography of nationally registered whittier mills 24. AJC, W.B. Lowe convict lessee article and image 25. AJC, A.B. Steele Empire Lumber Company description
26. Chattahoochee Brick Convicts working at the Whittier Mill Textile Factory 27. 1908 Atlanta Georgia Felder Committee on Convict Labor and lost reports 28. Atlanta Georgian Friday July 24 1908 hideous tales of torture image 29. Convict labor brick output chart from brick company business ledger 30. 1911 Sanborn map with highlighted area illustrating the location of convict tenements. 31. 1909 Atlanta Journal Constitution image of Exodus of Convicts from Brick camp 32. property info map 33. map overlays. 34. 3d model reconstruction of building changes over time. 35. Building and Equipment Inventory 1916
Commented [1]: This is baller!
1. Site photo and Google earth image
.
2. Shovel Car excavating clay on North Side of Chattahoochee Site (courtesy of Shales and Brick clays of Georgia Plate VII)
3. Double Tramway Location on Sanborn map, Brick and Clay record illustration and current ruins.
4. Strip footings and foundations located on Sanborn map and google earth illustrating current ruins
5. 1911 sanborn overlay on 1950’s aerial and 1960’s blueprint
6. Concrete outcroppings on site.
7. 1911 Sanborn illustrating Morrison Scove kilns along railway. (note pink rectilinear buildings)
8. 1930 Clay storage Building Foundation (roof demolished in 2011, but foundations remain)
9. Asphalt area and Palette brick covering rail lines, existing buildings from period of significance.
10.single largest brickyard article and/or heading
11.James English Illustration and Article (Atlanta Georgian
12. Ornamental Brick fragments located on site.
13. Kimball House article/picture & Whittier Mill Picture
1885 Kimball House photograph, demolished in 1959 Courtesy of Georgia Railroad and History Heritage
Commented [2]: This building was demolished. Add date when. Commented [3]: just googled that shit shawty
1950 Whittier Mill Aerial Photograph Courtesy of Georgia Railroad and History Heritage 14. 1886 Chattahoochee Brick Company Catalogue
15.1903 Brick and Clay Record Double Lawson Tramway Article
16. Atlanta Georgian contract snippets from sidewalks, kimball house
17. Atlanta Journal Constitution article regarding quality and method of brickmaking at the brick company.
18. Map of South River in Dekalb County and NickaJack Creek in Cobb County Properties
19. Chattahoochee Real Estate Summary 1903
20. Chattahoochee Brick/Railroad Letterhead and United States Penitentiary order
21. Chattahoochee Brick Company Letterhead illustrating 200,000 bricks per day and aerial of Site.
22. Morrison Scove Kiln Picture Courtesy of Brick and Clay Record circa 1931
23. G.W. Parrott and Whittier Mills article 1895
24. W.B. Lowe image and Atlanta Constitution about Convict Lessee
25. A.B. Steele Empire Lumber Company Atlanta Journal Constitution article.
26. Circa 1895 Chattahoochee Brick Convicts working at the adjacent Whittier Mill construction site. Courtesy of The Atlanta History Center
27. 1908 Atlanta Georgian Article regarding the carbon copy of the convict lease camp investigations.
28.Atlanta Georgian July 24th 1908 tales of torture
29. Chattahoochee Bricks produced by convict labor from 1901-1909 courtesy of free labor he found unsatisfactory.
30. 1911Sanborn map overlay locating convict tenements
31. Atlanta Georgian Article of Exodus of Chattahoochee Convicts from the camp in April 1909
32. Property info map courtesy of Fulton County Tax Commissioners website.
33. Map Overlays illustrating the change in buildings over time. A.1911 Sanborn overlaid on 1950 aerial
Commented [4]: Isn't this map already listed as #1?
B. 1960 blueprint overlaid on 1950 aerial
C. 1950 aerial
D. 2017 google earth with blueprint and Sanborn overlay
34. 3d model reconstruction of change in buildings from 1882-present A.1883
b.1885 -1910
C. 1950-1970 brick company demolishes old manufacturing in red
D. 1950-1970 Chattahoochee Brick Company builds new facility
E. Chattahoochee Brick sells property to General Shale Co. and they demolish old buildings and construct new facilities near the entrance of the site.
F. All buildings and machinery demolished in 2011
34. Chattahoochee Brick Company Archives Building and Equipment Inventory 1916