Cherokee Brick and Tile Company
Also known as: Cherokee Brick Company
Why it's listed
Cherokee Brick and Tile Company is a 4,000-acre industrial district in Macon, Georgia, that preserves every stage of brick production, from clay pits to finished product. A rail yard divides it: the manufacturing plant lies to the west and the clay mines and reserves to the east, near the Ocmulgee River. The plant's main buildings are the combined Plant Nos. 1 and 2, begun in 1904 and expanded repeatedly, and Plant No. 3, built in 1947-1949. A 1926 gambrel-roofed clay storage building feeds both through overhead conveyors. Smaller resources include a 1925 garage, a 1949 office, a laboratory dating to about 1904, and brickyard sheds. The mines range from hand-dug furrows of the 1870s to large mechanized pits, linked to the plant by roads, rail beds and a 1928 plate-girder turntable bridge over the river. The district is notable for showing how a single company grew and modernized over a century, supplying bricks for regional landmarks such as Wesleyan College's campus.
Significance in brief: The district documents the entire brick-making process, from clay mining and rail transport to manufacture and shipping. Its buildings, mines, railroad corridor and bridge show how the company expanded and mechanized over the 20th century. Its bricks were used in major regional projects, including the Wesleyan College campus at Rivoli in the 1920s.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 02000338, listed April 11, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3250 Waterville Rd., Macon |
|---|---|
| County | Bibb County |
| Listed | April 11, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000338 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Stephens-Adamson Company (clay storage building plans); Allied Engineering Division of Ferro Enamel Corporation (Plant No. 3 plans); Golian Steel & Iron Company (Plant No. 3 construction); W. T. Johnstone; W. Elliott Dunwody; Virginia Bridge & Iron Company (bridge) |
| Architectural style | No Style |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Engineering, Industry |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still an operating brick manufacturing facility with active clay mining, office and rail use; some rail cars are abandoned. |
| Acreage | 4000 |
| Coordinates | 32.77327, -83.60366 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 02000338.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q125945223
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.