Love original Savannah Grey bricks but either can't find them or, if you do, can't afford them? Now there's another option.

Savannah Technical College's Center for Traditional Craft will offer a weekend workshop on traditional brick making Oct. 15-16, where you can begin to learn how to create your own one-of-a-kind handmade bricks.

Also that weekend, Savannah Tech's Historic Homeowners Academy will offer an introduction to iron work and a class on historic building research and documentation.

About those bricks

Millions of renowned "Savannah Grey" handmade bricks were crafted by slaves in the 1800's at the former Hermitage Plantation, located on the banks of the Savannah River some three miles north of the city. The bricks had a distinctive grayish color that was a result of the composition of the clay and sediment harvested along that section of river bank. These over-sized bricks were abundant, inexpensive and in high demand from 1820 - when Savannah was rebuilding after fire destroyed much of downtown - until just after the Civil War.

Original Savannah Greys are still in evidence from the city's stately historic homes to the old cotton warehouses overlooking the river. Production of the bricks ended shortly after the Civil War nearly 150 years ago, making them both scarce and valuable. Depending on their condition, Savannah Greys can cost from $2.50 to $6 a brick.

Learning from the master

To better understand the fabrication process and the assess the viability of small scale local brick manufacture, students in Savannah Tech's Historic Preservation and Restoration program are working with renowned brick maker Jason Whitehead to fabricate between 2,000 to 3,000 handmade bricks to be fired in a traditional clamp kiln at Lebanon Plantation in Savannah.

A native of Williamsburg, Va., Whitehead is the fourth generation in his family to work for Colonial Williamsburg. He began working at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in 1995, while majoring in History at Virginia Commonwealth University and has worked in the Colonial Williamsburg Brickyard since 1999. He was the first to complete the apprenticeship curriculum for Historic Masonry Trades, served eight years as a journeyman, and achieved the distinction of being the first Master of Masonry Trades at Colonial Williamsburg in 2015. He has overseen the firing of more than 500,000 bricks during his time at Colonial Williamsburg. He has been instrumental in the masonry trade, which encompasses bricklaying, plastering, brick making, and lime burning.

Under his instruction, Savannah Tech students have been learning the basics of clay mixing, hand molding bricks, and drying bricks for firing. They are currently working with him to construct an old-fashioned clamp kiln on the grounds of Lebanon Plantation. The resulting bricks will be used by the students during curricular classes to better understand historic masonry repair and restoration.

Weekend workshops

â�¢ In "Introduction to Brick Making," students will learn about Colonial brick and lime production. Using traditional methods, materials, and techniques, they will become familiar with the art and craft of masonry repair and restoration. The Whitehead-instructed course will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. October 15 and 16. Cost is $50.

â�¢ "Introduction to Iron Work" will involve class lecture, demonstrations and walking tours that offer a survey of local iron work. Instructed by Rooney Floyd and Able Allen, course will be held over three days: 6-9 p.m. Oct. 14; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 15, and 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 16. Cost is $50 for class, plus a $15 materials fee.

â�¢ Also a three-day course, "Historic Building Research and Documentation" will introduce students to the basic field methods of documentation and analysis of historic sites and structures to include an overview of measured drawings and photography. Students will gain a basic understanding of field methods, techniques and uses for recording historic buildings as well as perform basic documentation techniques in the field to record a local historic structure. Taught by Luciana Spracher and Rebecca Fenwick, the class will be from 6-9 p.m. Oct. 14 and from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 15-16. Cost is $50.