Brick signatures.

I have mentioned that my house is up on a hill. "Tater Hill," to be specific. I have noticed a few "brick signatures" on my walks to work.

"PP" on a chimney; and "H" on a cobblestone just down the road. These marks were the identifying signature of the brick maker. If you have enough information, you can trace the ancestry of a brick, just like you can track the geneaology of a family. Old cobblestones and house bricks can be salvaged and resold for new projects. It's big business.

There aren't many signature bricks visible around here but, then, there wouldn't be. They call it the historic district, but if we are honest with ourselves, everything has been rebuilt or repaired or repaved. It was the same in Edinburgh. Visitors love the old buildings; residents craved warmth and a kitchen with modern plumbing.