Athens Block Company – Dairy Lane, Athens, Ohio

The original Athens Block company, founded in 1891 by Fred Stadler, D.H. Doan and James Drew, left a legacy of finely fired bricks that are still a noticeable part of Southeast Ohio’s landscape. With an initial investment of $50,000, $20,000 of which was loaned by the city, the three men created a company that became a large part of the economy of Athens in the early 20th century. With the exception of a year and a half in the mid-1890’s, the Athens Block was manufactured continuously from 1893 until right around 1917. During the First World War, much of the labor force for the manufacture of the bricks was called upon to serve with the American Expeditionary Force under General John J. Pershing, and the plant closed down. After the war, many communities turned to concrete and asphalt to pave their streets and sidewalks, and the Athens Block never recovered. The bricks today enjoy a new popularity as they continue to make up many of the streets of Athens, Ohio, and are the inspiration for the artwork of the handmade brick collectibles produced by the Athens Block’s Art Studio that was re-established in 2001.