History - Robinson Brick Company

Heading West

When West Virginian, George W. Robinson joined the westward migration in 1874, he wasn't alone. Between 1870 and 1920, the new railroad system brought thousands of new residents into the new "boomtown" of Denver City. Attracted by the majesty and mystery of the Rocky Mountains and westward legends, young entrepreneurs and politicians wished to reap the rewards of Colorado's mines, fields, and factories. The railroads brought in many families searching for new opportunities. They found these opportunities in the budding metropolis that was a mile high.

A City Transformed
In 1876, soon after reaching statehood, Colorado undertook a cultural overhaul, with the beautification of Denver City becoming a number one priority. The downtown area was transformed! What was once a city ravaged by fire and filled with saloons, became one of exquisite neighborhoods with beautiful buildings that attracted architects from all over the world.

1880 - A Company is Born
Robinson Brick Company began operations in 1880. The city of Denver had previously passed ordinances outlawing adobe brick, instituting a standard size of 81/4 x 41/4 x 21/4 that had to be kiln fired. The horses that brought the Robinson family to Colorado were put to work pulling clay scrapers. George W. converted an open circular mill to one that mixed clay with water. The brick was formed and then dried in the sun before bring fired in kilns fueled with wood. The process took 27-30 days, limiting production to only 2 million brick during the six warm months of the year.

Pushing Through The Depression

In 1890, Denver's population soared to over 106,000 people. Three years later, George's son, William B. Robinson, joined the company. Unfortunately that same year, Colorado entered into a depression. Colorado's number one industry, the mining of gold and silver, began to slow rapidly to the point of near collapse. However, the morale was not to be shaken and the beautification projects pushed on. Downtown parks were planned and constructed, and Denverites began to enjoy tree-lined streets. In addition, the city had gained a beautifully constructed opera house with golden pressed brick, the finest of the residential neighborhoods, as well as a very large collection of world-renowned brick buildings downtown.

Pushing through the Depression, William converted the operation to steam power, added pressed brick machines, and installed a steam dryer as well. The improvements enabled production to continue through the winter months. When William's sons, William W. and F. George joined the company in 1927, Robinson Brick Company was one of more than 20 brick manufacturers in the city. The third generation continued to improve on quality, and the company later emerged from those highly competitive years as the only brick manufacturer in the city of Denver, and the largest in Colorado.

Building a Solid Foundation
Changes were to be made by the brothers, and in 1941 they shut down their plant and donated much of the land to the city. This donated land later became Robinson Park. The Robinsons built a new plant with one of the West's first tunnel kilns. At this time, William W. and F. George Robinson were able to offer over 60 different varieties of brick, and 117 different shapes of tile. In 1959, Robinson Brick launched their new, state-of-the-art showroom which was an industry first.

The construction business began to slow down rapidly in the 1970's. However, the Chairman's son, F. George Robinson Jr. was determined to move forward. Robinson Brick began shipping to new and different markets nationally, expanding the product line as they went.

Today Robinson Brick, a subsidiary of General Shale Brick, is the trusted leader in providing quality products including brick, thin brick, natural thin stone, and block products.

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