A natural building material in New York City: Its unique shape, color, size, texture, history and current use. WHAT ARE NEW YORK COBBLESTONES?: New York State's cobblestones are over twenty thousand years old and have been naturally rounded by the glacial waters of the most recent ice age. Cobblestones may be as small as several inches or as large as six or seven, but they are always especially visually appealing because of the variety of rocks they represent. On any given cobblestone street in New York City one can find stones ranging in color from black to pale to a gamut of other beautiful ..read more

This brick and stone calculator will help you estimate the number of bricks or cobblestones you need for your project, based on the area you are covering and the thickness of mortar you intend to use.  ..read more

How original New York bricks came to build the area's strongest, most durable and classic-looking architecture and why reclaimed and recycled brick is still widely used in construction today.   1. Location, Location, Location: What are New York Bricks? The Hudson River from Staten Island to Kingston, NY was home to well over 120 brick manufacturing and distribution facilities during the 19th century. But why the Hudson? As luck would have it, the river's bed and banks contained deep and often soft clay deposits that had once comprised the bottom of glacial lakes from the last Ice Age. Ne ..read more

We know bricks are strong building blocks, yet some brick patterns are so mesmerizing that we may see them as purely decorative. In fact, brick bonds are both. Many of Europe's grand plazas have brickwork that is functional as well as artistic. On your property, a destination-focused brick plaza can either emphasize an entire patio dining area or it can simply be an added design, perhaps to highlight a wrought iron chair. Here are examples of easy-to-create brick garden path, patio and plaza bonds: Herringbone bond This pattern features whole bricks placed at 90 degree angles to each other in ..read more

The art of brick making dates back 5,000 years to the ancient walls of Jericho. Right up until the Industrial Revolution, hand-crafted brick making techniques were constantly refined by masons seeking a lighter, more portable alternative to stone. By the Renaissance, bricks adorned the facades of Europe's grand capitals and it didn't take long for the young country of America to learn to use locally made bricks as foundations for its own bustling 17th century cities, such as New York. In its natural state, New York's original Hudson River clay produced a unique light pink brick. Local brick ma ..read more