Belden Brick Company
Encyclopedia
The Belden Brick Company is an American manufacturer and distributor
of brick
and masonry
-related construction products and materials. Founder, Henry S. Belden (July 4, 1840 – April 21, 1921), chartered the company in Canton, Ohio
as the 'Diebold Fire Brick Company' in 1885 on the Belden farm. The Belden Family belongs to the Weatherhead School of Management
Family Business Hall of Fame at Case Western Reserve and the Company is one of the largest family owned brick manufacturers in the U.S.
According to the biography of William McKinley
by Margaret Leech
, she describes McKinley’s visit to Canton in 1867, armed with a letter of introduction to Judge G.W. Belden, as the Belden law firm was well known in legal circles. William McKinley
was accepted as a partner and then went on to become a US Congressman, Governor
of Ohio
and was elected President of the United States
in 1896.
Distributor
A distributor is a device in the ignition system of an internal combustion engine that routes high voltage from the ignition coil to the spark plugs in the correct firing order. The first reliable battery operated ignition was developed by Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co. and introduced in the...
of brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
and masonry
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
-related construction products and materials. Founder, Henry S. Belden (July 4, 1840 – April 21, 1921), chartered the company in Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
as the 'Diebold Fire Brick Company' in 1885 on the Belden farm. The Belden Family belongs to the Weatherhead School of Management
Weatherhead School of Management
The Weatherhead School of Management is a private business school of Case Western Reserve University located in Cleveland, Ohio. Weatherhead is considered a top-tier business school, with its strongest programs concentrated in organizational behavior, nonprofit business, information systems,...
Family Business Hall of Fame at Case Western Reserve and the Company is one of the largest family owned brick manufacturers in the U.S.
History
- Henry S. Belden was born in Canton on July 4, 1840, the son of Judge G.W. Belden. Henry became an attorney in the law firm of Belden & McKinley, of which Judge G.W. Belden was the senior partner.
According to the biography of William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
by Margaret Leech
Margaret Leech
Margaret Kernochan Leech also known as Margaret Pulitzer, was an American author and historian, who won two Pulitzer Prizes in history, for her books Reveille in Washington and In the Days of McKinley .She was born in Newburgh, New York, obtained a B.A...
, she describes McKinley’s visit to Canton in 1867, armed with a letter of introduction to Judge G.W. Belden, as the Belden law firm was well known in legal circles. William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
was accepted as a partner and then went on to become a US Congressman, Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and was elected President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in 1896.
- Henry S Belden also entered politics and was elected MayorMayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Canton. At the age of 32 a severe throat infection forced him to move to the Belden farm with the hope that the open air would improve his health, which it eventually did. On the farm, Henry discovered large deposits of coalCoalCoal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
, shaleShaleShale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
and clayClayClay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
. He built a small kilnKilnA kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, or oven, in which a controlled temperature regime is produced. Uses include the hardening, burning or drying of materials...
to study the effects of firing temperatures on clay and shale. In 1874 he invented the Belden burner, made of clay, which gave better light than any other type then in use. He held a total of 13 patentPatentA patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s for gasoline vapor street lightStreet lightA street light, lamppost, street lamp, light standard, or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or walkway, which is turned on or lit at a certain time every night. Modern lamps may also have light-sensitive photocells to turn them on at dusk, off at dawn, or activate...
s. He secured a large number of contracts for lighting cities and towns all across the United States.
- In 1876 Henry went to the Centennial ExpositionCentennial ExpositionThe Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. It was officially...
in Philadelphia and there saw the original stiff mud brick making machine. He became inspired to make paving and fire brickBrickA brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
. Henry’s paving brick was the first known use of paving brick in the city of Canton. Brick pavements then spread quickly throughout the county and state.
- In 1885, Henry S. Belden established the DieboldDieboldDiebold, Inc. is a United States-based security systems corporation that is engaged primarily in the sale, manufacture, installation and service of self-service transaction systems , electronic and physical security products , and software and integrated systems for global financial and...
Fire Brick Company near Canton in Stark County, OH.
- In August of 1895, stockholders of the DieboldDieboldDiebold, Inc. is a United States-based security systems corporation that is engaged primarily in the sale, manufacture, installation and service of self-service transaction systems , electronic and physical security products , and software and integrated systems for global financial and...
Fire Brick Company incorporated the Canton Pressed Brick Company as the successor company to the DieboldDieboldDiebold, Inc. is a United States-based security systems corporation that is engaged primarily in the sale, manufacture, installation and service of self-service transaction systems , electronic and physical security products , and software and integrated systems for global financial and...
Fire & Brick Company. Officers of the new company included: Henry S. Belden, President; C.J. Diebold, Vice President; James G. Barbour, Secretary/Treasurer; S.J. Allen, Superintendent. The first annual meeting of the Canton Pressed Brick Company was held in 1896.
- In 1904 Paul Belden, Henry’s youngest son, returned to Canton to assist his father as the company was in dire financial straits. Paul's friend, P.D. Hardy went along to see if his own business experience might be helpful. They arrived in Canton in 1904 and began to pick up the ruins of the Canton Pressed Brick Company.
- In 1909, Paul Belden was authorized to obtain any capital needed to operate the business. Paul Belden met with L. B. Hartung, a well known plumbing contractor in Canton. Mr. Belden was successful in persuading Mr. Hartung to invest money in capital stock of the Canton Pressed Brick Company. L.B. Hartung became an important shareholder owning about 30% of the capital stock.
- By 1912 Paul Belden had successfully raised enough capital to fund the company. The Company included operations now in Canton and Perry County, Ohio referred to as the Somerset Plant. Operations were consolidated operating under one company, The Belden Brick Company.
- Between 1909 and 1920 Paul Belden encouraged a philosophy of automation. In addition, the Company acquired an additional brick making operation in Uhrichsville, OH, a majority interest in the Belden Face Brick Company (also founded by Henry Belden), and built two new kilns.
- In March 1930, The Belden-Stark Brick Company of Detroit was incorporated as a joint venture of The Belden Brick Company and Stark Ceramics Inc. for the purpose of promoting and distributing Belden Brick and Stark Ceramic products in the Detroit area. This was followed in June 1930 by the incorporation of The Belden-Stark Brick Corporation of New York to do the same thing in the New York metropolitan area. These two subsidiary companies were to play a large part in the promotion of clay products and in obtaining architectural specifications for The Belden Brick Company.
- In 1946, Belden acquired the plants of the Finzer Brothers Company in Sugarcreek, OH in Tuscarawas County, OH.
- In 1957, Plant 6 was built in Sugarcreek, OH.
- In 1968, Plant 8 was built in Sugarcreek, OH and was the largest brick plant ever built under one roof.
- In 1970, Plant 1 in Canton was closed down and Belden brickmaking in Canton ceased while the corporate headquarters remained.
- In 1973, The Belden Brick Company acquired the assets, properties and manufacturing facilities of the Moomaw Brothers at Sugarcreek, OH. The Shepfer-Moomaw plant was designated as plant No. 9. There were 8 plants in operation that year.
- In 1974, the Strasburg Brick Company was acquired in Strasburg, OH near the Sugarcreek facilities. The plant was designated Plant 1. The Belden Brick Company bought out the remaining interests of Stark Ceramics in the Detroit and New York sales operations and constructed Plant 3 in Sugarcreek, OH to produce molded brick with a Deboer molded brick machine.
- In 1982, the Uhrichsville Plant and assets are sold to Stebbins Manufacturing.
- In 1983, the mothballed Port Washington, OH Plant and assets are sold to Empire Coal.
- In 1994, The Belden Brick Company becomes the first brick company ever certified under ISO 9000ISO 9000The ISO 9000 family of standards relates to quality management systems and is designed to help organizations ensure they meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders . The standards are published by ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, and available through National...
.
- In 1996, Belden purchases Redland Brick Inc. with plants in Williamsport, MD, Pittsburgh, PA, and Hartford, CT. Redland Brick continues operating as a wholly owned subsidiary.
- In 2000, Plant 2 is built in Sugarcreek, OH. with a capacity of 45 million brick equivalents In the same year, the Belden family was inducted into the Family Business Hall of Fame at Case Western Reserve's Weatherhead School of ManagementWeatherhead School of ManagementThe Weatherhead School of Management is a private business school of Case Western Reserve University located in Cleveland, Ohio. Weatherhead is considered a top-tier business school, with its strongest programs concentrated in organizational behavior, nonprofit business, information systems,...
.
Manufacturing plants
The Belden Brick Company manufactures brick (primarily for U.S. customers) at plants located in Sugarcreek, Ohio:- Plant 2 (Extruded face brick, pavers, and split tile)
- Plant 3 (Sandmold hand formatic)
- Plant 4 (Extruded and fired in periodic kilns)
- Plant 5 (Thin Brick)
- Plant 6 (Extruded)
- Plant 8 (Extruded and sandmold)
- Plant 9 (Extruded)
Buildings
- Ruthmere MansionRuthmere MansionThe Ruthmere Mansion is a three-story Beaux Arts mansion that is the most prominent historic residence in Elkhart, Indiana. Built in 1910 and refurbished in the early 1970s, the Ruthmere Mansion is now open to the public as a museum.Ruthmere is located along the St. Joseph River in Elkhart, Indiana...
Elkhart, Indiana, 1910 - Herman T. Mossberg ResidenceHerman T. Mossberg ResidenceHerman T. Mossberg Residence is a house designed by the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It was built for Herman T. Mossberg and his wife Gertrude in 1948 in South Bend, Indiana, and remains in private hands today. It is one of two Wright residences in South Bend, the other being the K. C....
South Bend, IndianaSouth Bend, IndianaThe city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
, 1948 - Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
CantonCanton, OhioCanton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
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, Fairfax CountyFairfax County, VirginiaFairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
1986 - Pearson Hall (Miami University)Pearson Hall (Miami University)Pearson Hall is the biological science building at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The building was originally known as The Biological Science Building, but was renamed Pearson Hall as a dedication to Miami’s 18th President. Prior to being a building, the area where Pearson Hall stands now was...
, Oxford, OhioOxford, OhioOxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern portion of the state. It lies in Oxford Township, originally called the College Township. The population was 21,943 at the 2000 census. This college town was founded as a home for Miami University. Oxford...
1986 - Midwest Express Center, Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
1998 - Seaport Hotel and Seaport World Trade CenterSeaport Hotel and Seaport World Trade CenterThe Seaport Boston Hotel and the neighboring Seaport World Trade Center is located on the Boston waterfront, also known as Commonwealth Pier, in South Boston, Massachusetts.The Seaport Boston Hotel opened in 1998....
, Boston, Massachusetts 1998 - Busch StadiumBusch StadiumBusch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
, St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
2006 - InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field AkronAkron, OhioAkron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
, OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
2009