If you’ve walked down a historic street in the Tampa Bay area, you may notice something they all have in common — bricks stamped with the name Augusta Block. It’s one of those things that you see once and then you can’t help but notice seeing everywhere. You can actually find these bricks across 10 Florida cities. Let’s learn more about these bricks that pepper our streets with character history.
Georgia bred
Our beloved Augusta Block bricks come from The Georgia Vitrified Brick and Clay Company. The company was founded in 1893 in Augusta, Georgia, and thrived as it was able to take advantage of the abundance of high-quality clay in the region. Clay is perfect for producing vitrified (highly durable) bricks.
In the early years, the company specialized in producing high-quality bricks for building construction, including ornamental and architectural bricks used in the construction of many prominent buildings in Augusta and other cities throughout the Southeastern United States.
You can find August Block bricks in:
- Florida (10 cities)
- Georgia (4 cities)
- North Carolina (2 cities)
- South Carolina (9 cities)
What is vitrified brick?
What makes these bricks durable enough to handle tourists walking down the side streets of St. Pete and the drunken revelries of Ybor City is the fact that they are vitrified.
Vitrified brick is a type of clay brick that has been fired at very high temperatures. This makes it extremely dense and strong. Asphalt, on the other hand, is a material made from a mixture of aggregates, binders, and fillers. Vitrified brick is very durable and resistant to damage from weather and foot traffic. It has a classic, elegant appearance.
Tampa’s secret stash
In the 1960s, many of the brick streets in Tampa were pulled up or paved over. The city gave away many of the bricks during this time. Some lucky residents were able to take some home to pave their own driveways and garden paths. The Georgia Vitrified Brick and Clay Company eventually merged with another brick manufacturer in Pennsylvania and stopped making August Block bricks.
So, there’s no chance of expanding the brick streets in Tampa Bay. But there has to be some lying around for repairs, right?
Yes. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the city has a small stash of bricks to help maintain the 41 miles of brick streets. Just enough to replace when necessary and help keep a little history beneath our feet.
The Hidden History series is about finding the common, everyday places and things we might take for granted in Tampa Bay — and unearthing their unique story.