United Brick Corporation Kiln Complex
The United Brick Corporation Brick Complex, also known as the New York Avenue Brick Kilns, is a historic industrial site.
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Located on the grounds of the National Arboretum, the twelve remaining beehive brick kilns of the United Brick Corporation Brick Complex present a well-integrated and visually unique setting, one reminiscent of a form of manufacture now quite rare. Almost Byzantine in style, the earthen-toned kilns and their tall stacks achieve a cohesive strength through their similarity of construction and design. The only interruptions within the kiln complex have occurred as a result of the deterioration and demolition of three structures. The demolition was brought about the widening of New York Avenue, which borders close to many of the industrial structures.
All twelve kilns exhibit the same basic method of construction. The circular walls are made of common, extruded brick, lined on the interior with a heat-resistant firebrick. The walls of ten of the kilns are accented along the periphery by twelve arched fireboxes. These have all been infilled, signifying a change in fuel type from coal to oil. The two kilns expressly designed for oil heat (post-1939) do not exhibit these arches.
DC Inventory: March 3, 1979
National Register: October 3, 1978
