HISTORY

AN INDUSTRIAL LEGACY

At the beginning of the 20th century, brick manufacturing was the preeminent industry on New York’s Hudson River. In fact, it was the largest brick-making region in the world, with over 125 manufacturers employing upwards of 8,000 workers.

From 1865 to 1980, The Hutton Brick Works Company operated on the banks of the Hudson, supplying this essential building material for construction projects throughout the Hudson Valley as well New York City— the fastest-growing metropolis in the world.

THE HUTTON NAME

In 1865 William Hutton and John Cordts purchased land along the Hudson River. The Hutton Brickyards quickly became a major manufacturer of quality brick, operating continually for more than 100 years (1865 to 1980). Cordts retired in 1887, and Hutton continued on as the president and sole owner until his death in 1897. Although the business prospered through the Industrial Revolution, WWI and WWII, the Hutton family decided to leave the brick industry in the 1960s.

PRESERVING HISTORY

 

Much of the iconic facilities’ infrastructure has since been dismantled, but a few integral elements remain – including the three steel-frame kiln sheds which were moved to the site from another location in the 1940s, and a Lidgerwood crane.

These kiln sheds, and Lidgerwood crane are some of the only surviving examples of brick making architecture in the Hudson Valley region, and serve as an iconic reminder of our manufacturing past.

Hutton’s indispensable contribution to the infrastructure, and in fact, the very existence of New York City-from Yankee Stadium to the Cloisters to the Empire State Building-and its surrounding environs is indisputable.

The legacy of the Hutton brick makers lives on today as the current owner, Karl Slovin of MWest Holdings, preserves, restores, and reimagines the Hutton Brickyards as a world-class event destination, restored to honor the rich history of the site for a new generation.