Thick as a Brick

Repointing the Harris Boarding House

If you have been wandering around the village recently, you may have heard the tink, tink, tink sound of brick wall repairs being made to the Harris Boarding House, Sorting and Picker building, and the Boiler House. These three buildings serve as residential and commercial rentals for Historic Harrisville and are located on Mill Alley.

Mankind has been using bricks as a building material stretching back to 7,000 BC. Early examples of brick excavated in Turkey were composed of clay and straw left to dry in the sun. The first brick building to appear in Harrisville was built by Bethuel & Deborah Harris in 1819, using a brick laying method referred to as the Flemish Bond which alternates stretchers (the sides of brick) and headers (the end of the brick). The earliest examples of Flemish Bond style of brick laying can be found in Northern and Central Europe from the late medieval period. Bricks used in the construction of homes and businesses here in the village were sourced locally from Harrisville and neighboring communities of Nelson and Keene.

It may come as a surprise to some, but brick buildings need tender love and care. Temperature fluctuations and weather can greatly add to the deterioration of bricks and mortar over time. In the early 20th century, masons would often use Portland cement and ground limestone or hydrated lime to repoint buildings believing, erroneously, that the fast-drying hard cement qualities would last longer. The hardened mortar would often crack and did not allow the building to “breathe.” The age-old mortar recipe of sand, lime, and water allows the transfer of vapor or wicking, and if used properly it can last for 100 years or more.

Our preservationist Fred O’Connor and Kat O’Brien used this time-tested method during their recent restoration of the Harris Boarding House and the Sorting and Picker building. The team used recycled bricks from buildings long gone for the necessary repairs. Crumbling bricks or bricks with holes were refaced or replaced entirely. Kat researched and tested mortar color to match each building. When the weather cooperated, each missing section of mortar was replaced using proper period methods and tools. Not an easy feat two to three stories up on a ladder in 80-degree heat with angry hornets dive bombing you!

Repointing  detail

Repointing detail

Repointing the Sorting & Picker building