At the intersection of Albany Post Road and the Dwaar Kill several miles from the Tuthilltown Grist Mill, the James B. Crowell and Son brick mold factory, a National Register property since 1983, has been in continuous operation for nearly 150 years under Crowell family ownership since its founding in 1872. The building burnt to the ground several times and was last rebuilt in 1915. For many years a water-powered industry, the factory converted to electric power in 1948. Today, the Crowell plant is filled with exotic machines, most installed many decades ago, some invented and patented by James B. Crowell himself. The rather ancient machines still function well—old machines are known for their quality, simplicity, and easy repair. Following the vicissitudes of the pandemic, the sad but necessary decision has been made this year to sell all the equipment and to rent or sell the building that housed them, bringing to an end one of the last successful brick-making factories in the Hudson Valley.