Lucy, Larry and Jim-
One last note.  McIntosh died in 1836. approximately 7 years after
constructing the factory.  Deed and probate records indicate that the
sugarhouse continued to be used until the Civil War and arrow root starch
production during the war.  It is likely that the site was then abandoned.
In my opinion, the Berry bricks were installed as part of the original fire
box and I saw no indication of reconstruction.  Tom

Thomas H. Eubanks, Ph.D., RPA
State Archaeologist
Louisiana Division of Archaeology
PO Box 44247
Baton Rouge, LA 70804

225-342-8170 Ph.
225-342-4480 Fax.

www.crt.state.la.us <http://www.crt.state.la.us>  (click archaeology)


        -----Original Message-----
        From:   SouthArc [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
        Sent:   Tuesday, February 06, 2001 9:01 AM
        To:     [log in to unmask]
        Subject:        Berry firebricks

        Tom, Larry and Jim--

        Thanks for the response on the firebricks.

        Tom--I should have checked your study since the McIntosh site is a
        comparable time period to the ones we're looking at in Florida.
Sounds like
        Berry's got around.

        Larry--as far as we can tell these sites were not reused after their
        destruction during the Second Seminole War (1836-42).  Basically
they were
        burned and much of the stonework was removed.  The sugar plantations
were
        not reestablished when the war ended, with a couple of exceptions
(neither
        of them the sites where we found the brick). I wish I could forward
an image
        of the brick, but the only photographs we have at the moment are not
very
        clear.  I'll check with our architect, who was also taking photos,
and see
        if he got clear shots.  They did appear to be far better made than
the
        hand-molded brick used elsewhere in the structures.  The firebrick
were
        confined to flues and fireboxes--naturally!

        Jim--as noted above, our sites were in use prior to 1842--actually
as early
        as the beginning of the 19th century.  So we need a maker who was
around in
        the first quarter of the century.  Based on the historic record, we
have a
        pretty tight date on the sites, with both of the sites which have so
far
        yielded Berry bricks ceasing to function prior to 1842.  No recorded
reuse
        of either site.

        Thanks much to those of you who responded to our querry.  We will
keep
        checking and see if we can find any kind of historic record which
may
        indicate sources--operations did buy steam engines, etc. and cane
crushers
        from northern states--presumably firebrick could have come from the
same areas.

                                                Lucy Wayne