Wow. While urban sprawl and the general growth of our cities in South Carolina is nothing new, we generally find old structures will get wiped off the earth ahead of new developments going in. But that’s just not the case, thank goodness, with the ruins of the Guignard Brick Works in Cayce.

Located just steps from where Blossom Street drops you in Cayce as you cross the Congaree River from downtown Columbia, the ruins of Guignard Brick Works have a profoundly poetic notion to them.
Google/Local Midlander
And why shouldn't they? The brick works was established in 1801 and was responsible for firing many of the bricks that built Columbia and the surrounding area - from these very kilns.
Google/David McNamara
To date, four kilns remain on the property. Three of them were constructed in 1920 and the fourth in 1932.
Clay for the bricks was usually collected right here in Columbia from the many miles of river banks.
Flickr/Julia Zay
A little-known fact about the kilns? Those six iron bands that you see tightly wrapped around each kiln were put in place to keep the structure from exploding when it reached extreme temperatures.

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They are called Beehive Kilns, which force the heat up the inside wall of the kiln all the way to the ceiling where it then falls back down onto the raw clay. It hardens much more evenly with this sort of distribution, as opposed to the heat being pushed up into the clay from the floor level.
Flickr/Julia Zay
It's difficult to get a feel for the size of these beasts from just a photo. Each one is 18 feet tall and 35 feet in diameter. The ceiling and walls are constructed entirely of brick.
If you'd like get a look at them, it's not hard to do.
Google/Manuel Moreno
Just make your way to Beehive Drive in Cayce.
Google/Daniel Melbourne Jr
It's barely two blocks long and the kilns can be seen from any point on that street.

If you don’t live in our around Columbia, did you know about these beautiful remnants from the past that still stand just across the river from downtown Columbia? Plan to do a drive-by to get a look them the next time you’re nearby?

 

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Featured Addresses
Guignard Brick Works, 100 Granby Crossing, Cayce, SC 29033, USA