The Williams Brick Plant

The Williams Brick Plant. . From the late 1800's through the 1930's, Canton, Ohio, was considered the world's leading manufacturer of paving brick. In addition to having well-established shipping routes, this area boated large quantities of natural clay and shale. , , In 1887, Civil War Captain William S. Williams built a brick plant in this vicinity. The plant featured beehive brick kilns that could produce 20,000 bricks per day. He started operations using clay, but soon discovered that vitrified shale was a better option; and there was an abundance of shale on this property that could be mined. , , Williams' brick plant was successful at first; but, emerging competition forced him to sell the plant in 1901 to the Model Brick Works, beginning a legacy of multiple owners. Acme Brick Company, Home Brick Company, and Canton Brick and Fireproofing Company are other names the brick company was known as throughout the plant's 47-year history. , , In 1934, the City of Canton purchased the property with grant money from the Timkin Foundation. The area of the shale pit was given to the Canton City Board of Education, which used the quarried amphitheater-like setting to build Fawcett Stadium (now the current site of Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium). The remainder of the property was developed into Stadium Park, the Pro Football Hall of Fame museum site, and Interstate 77.