The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
For longer than I’d like to admit, whenever I saw a Purington Paver, my brain would change the “P” to a “B” and add an “l,” turning it into a Burlington Paver.
But Burlington Pavers they are not. I’m sure many of you have come across these bricks in old sidewalks or stacked in a pile in the corner of an old shed.
About a month ago, some of the brick facade on the front of the Stronghurst Legion gave way, and in the pile of bricks, that name could be seen: Purington.
The current American Legion building was constructed of Purington Block in the early 1900s, along with the two-story building just to its south, which is now Moore’s Event Center.
The two-story structure operated as a dry goods store until about 1946, when it became an International Harvester dealership.
In 1955, Ivan Jacobs moved his hardware store into the building. It remained a hardware store until Jacobs’ True Value Hardware closed around 1994.
The current American Legion building spent most of its life as a grocery store.
From 1924 to 1975, various grocery stores called the building home. Jacobs bought the building in 1976 and used it for display and storage until the Legion moved in around 1992.
The story of Purington Pavers begins in 1849 in East Galesburg, when German stonemason Henry Grosscup purchased 90 acres of land from Knox College.
He paid for the land with bricks he produced, which were used to construct Whiting Hall and Old Main on the college campus. The area’s rich deposits of blue shale and yellow clay, formed from ancient seabeds, provided ideal raw materials for brick making.
Around 1890, brothers D.V. and W.S. Purington acquired the land and established the Purington Paving Brick Company, focusing on heavy, solid paving bricks distinct from the “soft” bricks used for buildings by other local manufacturers.
These durable 4x4x8-inch bricks, weighing about 9 pounds each, were designed for street paving, addressing the era’s problem of muddy and dusty roads and enabling smoother travel for early automobiles.
The company initially operated with 14 kilns in Yard No. 1, later expanding to four yards with up to 36 kilns total, covering 300 acres.
At its peak, Purington was the world’s largest brick paver manufacturer, employing 800 workers and producing over 150,000 bricks daily.
Their pavers were used globally, from 60 miles of streets in Galesburg to the Bazaar in Bombay, India, and even in Panama City during the Panama Canal’s construction.
Notably, during World War II, Galesburg soldiers found Purington pavers in Paris streets, and the company fulfilled a massive order of 22 million bricks for a DuPont munitions plant in Indiana, producing and shipping 7–8 train carloads daily over 146 days.
The labor-intensive production process involved mining shale, mixing and molding clay, and firing bricks in large kilns, which were cooled and cleaned between cycles.
Workers, including “sand monkeys” who prevented bricks from sticking, endured grueling conditions, with some using leather shoe soles to protect their hands.
Demand for pavers declined by the 1920s with the rise of asphalt and concrete.
Production of paving bricks ceased in 1949, and the company shifted to standard 2x4x8-inch building bricks, converting from coal- to gas-fired kilns in the early 1950s. The brickyard closed permanently in 1974.
Today, Purington Pavers are valued as collectibles and reclaimed for modern projects like patios, walkways, and fire pits due to their durability and vibrant colors (ranging from orange to purple). The pavers’ historical significance and aesthetic appeal make them a unique choice for construction and landscaping.
Purington Pavers stand as a testament to the area’s industrial heritage, transforming muddy streets into durable pathways that connected communities and facilitated progress.
From their global reach in the early 20th century to their modern revival as cherished collectibles, these bricks carry a legacy of craftsmanship and resilience.
Whether uncovered in the rubble of the Stronghurst Legion or repurposed in a modern patio, Purington Pavers continue to tell a story of innovation, hard work, and enduring quality that resonates with history enthusiasts and builders alike.
Sources: Carl Sandburg Historic Site Association, Knox County Historical Sites, Stronghurst Centennial History 1887-1987