Hancocks Bridge in Salem County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Patterned Brick Houses
Hancock House Historic Site
In the Hancock House, built in 1734, the masons alternated red bricks laid lengthwise, called stretchers, with blue glazed bricks laid on end, referred to as headers. The result was a checker-board design called Flemish Bond. They used a similar technique to create a unique herringbone pattern in the end walls.
Bricks were made from local clays. They were molded, air dried, then fired in a wood-burning kiln. Those bricks that were closest to the fire acquired a “vitrified” or blue-glazed surface. The irregular features, cracks, and bubbles within the glaze did not compromise the product since the glaze waterproofed the brick.
Salem County has the second largest concentration and variety of patterned brick houses, after Burlington County, in New Jersey and the nation. Often homes to the elite, brick houses comprised one tenth of the late eighteenth-century homes in the county.
Erected by State of New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1734.
Location. 39° 30.47′ N, 75° 27.616′ W. Marker is in Hancocks Bridge, New Jersey, in Salem County. Marker is on Locust Island Road, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located next to the historic Hancock House. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hancocks Bridge NJ 08038, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Hancock House Massacre (within shouting distance of this marker); Hancock House (within shouting distance of this marker); Swedish Cabin (within shouting distance of this marker); Patriots Massacred in the Hancock House (within shouting distance of this marker); The Alloway Creek Watershed (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Old Bridges at this Location (about 400 feet away); Waving Acres of Grass (about 400 feet away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 3.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hancocks Bridge.
More about this marker. Photographs of several other examples of patterned brick houses from Salem County appear on the marker, including the Chambliss House, 1730; Abel & Mary Nicholson House, 1722; Dickenson House, 1754; Denn House, 1725; and the Hancock House, which has a caption of “The initials ‘W H S’ at the peak stand for William and Sarah (nee: Thompson) Hancock, the original owners of the house.”
Also see . . . Hancock House. New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry webpage. (Submitted on August 16, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 16, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 1,590 times since then and 69 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 16, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.