Minnesota Minneapolis Campus, the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, and the Minneapolis Auditorium. In Saint Paul, the Minnesota State Capitol—where over two million bricks built the basement—and the prison at Fort Snelling are made with Chaska brick. It was used to line the sewers of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Chaska brick was used in many types of buildings, such as schools, city buildings, factories, mills, hotels, barns, houses, outhouses, stables, saloons, restaurants, banks, and churches. Over the first half of the 20th century, the Chaska brick industry stalled. New building materials like structural clay tiles and concrete blocks were preferred. The new types of materials, and the financial crisis of the Great Depression, led to the industry's decline. There was not enough demand for the supply. In the late 1960s, building fashion changed, and olive green or harvest gold bricks were preferred. Over time, brickyard owner Charles Klein bought out the other brickyards, or they shut down from lack of sales. Trouble between labor and management in the 1960s lowered Chaska brick's market price, interrupting the supply produced. Klein's brickyard, the last to produce Chaska brick, finally shut its doors in 1971. Legacy After production of Chaska brick ended, its historic significance was recognized. Many buildings made of Chaska brick were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Examples of these buildings in Carver County include the Frederick E. DuToit House, the Wendelin Grimm Farmstead, the Herald Block, the Simons Building and Livery Barn, and the Paul Mohrbacher House. In the 21st century, efforts to protect Chaska brick buildings continue through historic preservation. References Bricks Chaska, Minnesota Minnesota culture