Brewer was as famous for brick-making in the 19th century as Bangor was for lumber. By the 1850s there were 12–15 brickyards in Brewer making 12 million bricks annually. Most of these were shipped to Boston and vicinity. It is said that most of the Back Bay and South End neighborhoods of Boston are built of Brewer brick. Frank O. Farrington of Brewer patented a machine for edging and turning bricks in 1859.Scientific American, February 12, 1859, p. 182
