The Washington Historical Society is selling pieces of Washington's history ... 275 bricks at a time.
They're 150-year-old Barr paving bricks that were removed several years ago from a section of Zinser Place near Market Street, according to City Engineer Dennis Carr, so the street could be resurfaced.
"The bricks were removed, palletized and stored in the grass area at our wastewater treatment plant," Carr said. "They sat there for so long that the pallets were breaking down and weeds were growing everywhere in and around the pallets."
Carr contacted Historical Society President Jewel Ward about two years ago to see if the organization had any ideas about what to do with the bricks, because they city didn't want them.
"I took that information to our board so we could brainstorm ideas. We didn't want to see those bricks destroyed," Ward said.
Historical Society members Buddy Lersch and Leri Slonneger came to the rescue. They spearheaded an effort to load the bricks on new pallets and sell them as a fundraiser for the Historical Society.
Volunteers from the Historical Society and more than 40 Washington Community High School students worked for two hours each Saturday and Sunday from early summer to mid-November last year to prepare the bricks to be sold.
"Quite a few students helped us out multiple times, so the work must not have been that bad for them," Ward said. "We took what we could, then we had to stop because it was time-consuming manual labor. Each brick weighs about eight pounds.
"I know the guys at the sewer plant are happy the bricks are gone. They've been mowing around them for decades."
Pallets containing about 275 bricks are being sold for $275 plus a $50 local delivery charge. The bricks are no longer good for a road, but they're perfect for patios, walkways, and decorative projects.
Money from the fundraiser has not yet been earmarked by the Historical Society.
"At $270 apiece, we're going to raise a good chunk of change," Ward said. "We'll do something with it that gives back to the community."
The city is spending about $35,000 to repair the chain-link security fence with barbed wire on top that was damaged by the bricks.
Barr bricks were made by the Barr Clay Company of Streator, which operated from 1892-1923. Interested in buying a pallet of history? Send an email to washingtonilhs@gmail.com or contact a Historical Society member.
