Some of Salvage Michigan’s finest recycled bricks were produced by the Veneklasen (later Zeeland) brickworks in Holland, Michigan between 1850 and about 1920. These recycled bricks come in lovely red, white, and orange colors that were once used in the multi-color brickwork typical of Dutch-American architecture. They occur today all over Michigan.

History

In 1848 a recent immigrant from Holland, Jan Veneklasen, began selling bricks in Holland, Michigan. At first the business was small and local, but as lumber became more expensive and as brick homes gained in popularity, the business took off, expanding rapidly in the 1870s. Then in 1892, Veneklasen’s sons incorporated the business as Zeeland Brick company. Peak production occurred in 1893. At that time Zeeland bricks were being exported as far as Chicago. But cheap rail transportation eventually put small yards like Zeeland in direct competition with larger companies that could produce brick more cheaply and the company went out of business by 1925. 

Colors

Bricks from the Veneklesan/Zeeland yards come in three main colors: red, white, and orange. However, the bulk of these bricks are available in red. Because the company initially produced bricks for chimneys, red was the preferred color. And red brick is a historically popular color. Eventually the yard produced white bricks, ranging from a creamy white to a more pure ivory white for polychromatic accents. Later, after the turn of the century, whole buildings used white bricks, like the schoolhouse in New Groningen (still standing). A new dusty orange color became extremely popular in the 1890s and beyond, extending the options for accents.

Examples

Sources

Douma, Michael J. Veneklasen Brick: A Family, a Company, and a Unique Nineteenth-Century Dutch Architectural Movement in Michigan. W.B. Eerdmans, 2005.

Enspink, Elizabeth. “Veneklasen Brick Company.” Digital Holland, Michigan, 2020. https://digitalholland.org/veneklasen-brick-company/