One of the things that makes our one room brick schoolhouse house so special is simply the brick that it is constructed from. The brick is known as Beamsville Brick, and at the time, was nationally recognized. The excellent condition that the brickwork is in today is a testament to the skill of our local craftsmen 120 years ago. The Tallman & Son Brickyard began making bricks on Durham Road in Beamsville in 1872. By the 1890s, William Tallmans firm, now called the Beamsville Brick and Terra Cotta Company, had become the largest manufacturer of ornamental brick and architectural terracotta in Canada. The firm, which employed 40 men, was the second largest employer in Beamsville after Senator Gibsons quarry. An innovative team made up of wheelers, molders, setters, burners, sorters and shovellers created plain and ornamental brick for private homes and public buildings such as post offices, schools and art galleries. The celebrated Toronto architect, Edmund Burke, who designed Simpsons department store and the Bloor Street Viaduct among many other iconic buildings, also incorporated elaborate decorative terracotta panels made in Beamsville in his design of the Owens Art Gallery at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick (which by the way is a designated heritage site). The craftsmen in the brickworks transcribed architectural designs into one-of-a kind clay reliefs. The bricks and terracotta reliefs were slowly heated and cooled which created their very distinctive smooth and even finish. The Vineland Public Schoolhouse includes plain and decorative brick as well as a one-of-a-kind terracotta medallion, floral reliefs and gargoyles. These local art forms stand today as excellent examples of the brickmakers talents. (CM)
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 11:56:34 +0000
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