NYSTIA Welcomes The Haverstraw Brick Museum as a New Member

The Haverstraw Brick Museum's mission is to support the preservation of the local and regional history of the Hudson River Valley, provide an educational center to maintain knowledge of the area’s historic brick-making heritage and environmental legacy, and inspire and celebrate the vibrant immigrant communities that helped build the town and still form the village of Haverstraw today. The collection, spanning from 1758-present day, highlights under-documented and often untold aspects of New York’s working-class history. It includes handwritten, scripted oak gall ink patents (indentures) from 1758 and 1890; ledgers, diaries, papers, oral archives in both handwritten and typed formats; and original photographs printed from glass and film negatives. It offers invaluable insights into early New York and Haverstraw history, documenting themes of immigration, migration, and the economic and cultural impact of the growth of Industrial America from 1815-1942, and its role in building one of the world’s greatest cities, New York.

From 1815 to 1941, Haverstraw played a vital role in the region's industrial development. It served as an economic hub of the Hudson River Corridor and a center of technological and social innovation for immigrants from around the world who worked in the brickyards. Many of these immigrants learned the trade in Haverstraw and later moved to Verplanck, Peekskill, Beacon, Roseton, Fishkill, and Kingston, creating an economic corridor along the Hudson River. By 1883, with the revolutionary invention of the automatic brick-making machine, which was exported worldwide, Haverstraw became the brick-making capital of the world. Over 40 brickyards produced more than 300 million bricks annually. More than two-thirds of the buildings in nearby New York City, along with some of the era’s most iconic industrial landmarks, were built with bricks from Haverstraw.

In 2023, the Haverstraw Brick Museum embarked on a transformative journey to expand with $1.5 million in capital funding through New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI). The plan is to build a new 3.5-story museum at 12 Main Street; creating a state-of-the-art, multi-level facility that highlights our community's history while inspiring future generations. Designed by Op.al Architects, the new museum will feature three and a half floors dedicated to innovation and technology, research and education, exhibits, and community, and will house its unique archives and collections. This design combines sustainable principles with inventive brickwork, honoring our industrial past and serving as a beacon for the future in our tight-knit community.