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Museum of Ancient Brick Brochure

Museum of Ancient Brick Brochure
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1,400 years old – Church of St. John, Ephesus, Turkey The church was built in the 6th century and still stands at the site of the home of Mary, mother of Jesus. The ridges in the design were created by hand. About the Curator Every brick tells a story — the late Basil Saffer knew that better than most. As curator of the General Shale Museum of Ancient Brick, Saffer spent decades going on brick-hunting expeditions in dozens of countries throughout the world and bringing his finds back to Johnson City, Tennessee, to be admired by visitors to the company’s headquarters. First Century a.d. – Bath, England Saffer, a former British merchant sailor, self-taught Hypocaust tiles such as this one were part of an archaeologist and General Shale’s marketing director, once said, “To me, these are not just bricks — they ancient Roman heating system. The hollow tiles allowed heat to circulate beneath the floor or in Saffer passed away in 2011, but the legacy he established at General Shale’s headquarters in Johnson City lives on. Museum Hours Open to the public. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations required for groups of five or more. Call for more information or to arrange a visit. 423-282-4661 3015 Bristol Highway Johnson City, TN 37601 www.generalshale.com The collection is a subtle, yet valuable, marketing tool — the ultimate statement about its products’ durability. “Here you can see brick that has been exposed for centuries and yet shows no sign of wear,’’ Saffer said. ‘‘These things have withstood the test of time.’’ Copyright © 2014 General Shale, Inc. Ancient Brick

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General Shale Museum of Ancient Brick This handmade, sun-dried clay unit – found in the buried settlement beneath the biblical city of Jericho – is possibly the first brick ever made! Weighing three pounds, the hog-backed (meaning thumb-pressed) plano-convex is the oldest The first brick to legally come out of The Pilgrims’ ship was probably about the China since the Communist takeover, size of a canal boat approximately 90 feet — this piece of the Great Wall is from long and 24 feet wide. Placed in the bottom the portion rebuilt by Emperor Wanli of the hold to keep the vessel steady,...

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