This looks like the old brickyards area outside of Essex Junction, on Rt. 15 headed to Essex Ctr. Pretty sure that house no longer exists.

Drury Brickyard in Essex?

I worked at this brickyard in the summers of 68,69, and 70 before I went to UVM as a full time student. Very hard work, lot of sweat and lifting, but great guys to work with. Lot of memories from this photo. Harris Drury was the manager.

Also, many funny and great characters worked there. In memory of Snuffy, Chick, Eddy X, Skyhopper, Grand Champ, Pop, Big Tom, Cozy, Bouf, Shep, the Badger Boys and a cast of others.

Thank you for sharing your memories, Peter! We'd love to hear more about what it was like working at the brickyard in the late 60s. Can you tell us what a typical day on the job looked like? It's fascinating to see how much has changed since the Vintage Aerial photo was taken in '67.

Happy to do so, Alexis. I was on a team called the setting crew with a total of 6. The leader would use a train to bring cars to us, each car holding 500, 7lb bricks. If 3 of us on the bottom could unload 50 cars unto the conveyor belt prior to 6 hours, and 2 on the top could set them in a specific pattern, we would be paid time and a half for the last 2 hours. We were paid about $2.25 per hour back in the 60s. Great motivation to get my degree in finance from UVM. Also, at times, we had to lift metal trays with 7, 7lb bricks on them for hours in the machine room. Most of the help during the summers were college students from St.Mikes and UVM. We were young, worked hard, drank an awful lot of beer and were crazy as hell. Loved it!!!

The above description of work is from Peter Sweet.

Another interesting fact. Harris Drury owned the Drury Brick and Tile Company until about 1965, then sold it to the Densmore Brick Company out of NH. The brickyard was closed in 1970 due to financial problems, and too much black smoke from brick kiln burning entering the air around Essex Junction.

Grandchamp always had a pint of whiskey on him while driving the forklift, Big Arnold had whiskey hidden while pushing brick cars, Charley Bang Bang would always duck when hearing load noises as he fought in the Korean War and had PTSD, the Badger Boys always got excited talking about the girly shows at the Champlain Valley Fair, the guys put a dead pigeon in Snuffy's lunchbox and he had a fit, sometimes, drinking a six pack of beer each in 1 hour at lunch before going back to work. Jim passed out and we had to hide him in a car. Old Pop would fall asleep while running the clay machine. With all the machinery running, amazing nobody lost a leg or arm!! Like I said, young, wild and crazy!