The Untold Story Behind The Stars You’ve Seen On Old Brick Buildings

Growing up, many of us might’ve seen these stars without giving them much thought, but in a way, they represented more than just a building technique. These washers told the story of how communities preserved their heritage. While the 1960s and ’70s brought a wave of modernization and suburban expansion, cities held onto these stars, maintaining their older structures rather than tearing them down.

Think of how much has changed since then – newer buildings with sleek glass fronts, yet somehow these stars still remind us of a time when architecture had a certain grit and character. They were part of the local scenery, a reminder of our connection to the past and how communities worked to preserve their surroundings.

Today, when you spot one of these stars or diamond-shaped retainers, take a moment to think about the generations of families that have passed by them, unaware of their silent labor. They held together the local grocery store, the post office, the factory down the road. They were part of the background, yet vital to preserving that familiar brick charm many of us grew up with.