Soft red brick

From Lynch (2009): “From initial observation, the red color seems to indicate that the clay came from the Mississippi River. The brick does not have a brickmaker’s stamp, although it is likely that the brick dates to the 1820s. This sample is a regular brick, has rough edges, and is struck from stretcher to stretcher across the bedding face. The strike marks on the brick indicate that it was struck with a wooden striker, which is consistent with the period. The 21 lack of sand in the surface indicates that water was used as a molding lubricant. Given these characteristics, the brick appears to have been hand-moulded using the soft mud method.”