I assume the factory has been abandoned for a good number of years (15+), and I only know of its legitimate use through secondhand means. The first time I paid visit to the factory, I met a city worker who was kind enough to share with me the little information he had on the buildings. He told me of its use as a brick factory, and that there had been a major fire prior to its closing. He didn't know of any plans to renovate or destroy the complex, and was only there himself to clean up waste that had been left behind.     After I discovered the factory, it was put of the proverbial back burner for a number of months. I was interested in exploring the place, but lacked the motivation. My motivation came later in the form of a kindred spirit. This kindred spirit and I began sharing stories and found we had both been to the brick factory. Interested in what he had to say, I pressed him for information about the complex of buildings. Although historical information was lacking, my new friend was convinced the factory was haunted by an evil presence. Now I'm always up for a good ghost story, but some stories can get downright foolish. Whatever the case, it was time to visit this complex of ghostly buildings.

    The next time I returned to the factory it was a much later, significantly darker and an all out sinister adventure. My friends and I parked a ten-minute walk from the factory and spent our time discussing the supposed haunting of this south side brick works. When we arrived at the factory, it seemed to take on a palpable and demented appeal. We roamed the complex for hours, climbing its catwalks, exploring its underbelly and searching for its ever-elusive evil presence. And although my friends and I encountered varying degrees of sobriety, not one of us encountered signs of ghostly activity. As minutes gave way to hours, we decided to call it a night and leave the ghost busting for another time.     Interested in the acquisition of pictures, and a more brightly-lit exploration of the factory, some friends and I returned to the brick works during the day. As I walked around taking pictures, a lovely friend of mine discovered a network of underground sewer lines that ran beneath the factory. Wanting to explore, but pressed for time, we made plans to return and lose ourselves in the maze of tunnels under the factory.

Update [... 2003 ...]
    This place never fails to interest me. I have come to find more accurate information about the "brick factory." It has been abandoned for 15 years, and was home to many different facilities; none of which included a brick factory. Its most recent owner, Carondelet Coke, used the buildings for petroleum coke production for eight years and abandoned the site in 1988. I've been spending a lot of time at the factory recently, and have come to find that it's a popular hang out spot. Nearly every time that I visit, I run into someone new. Mostly it's groups of teenagers or early twenty something's looking for a thrill, but I've also run across young children and old men scrounging for things left behind.     The site is also popular for dumping, and almost every time I visit, there is some new assortment of trash lying around the perimeter of the factory. The trash ranges from household goods to washer and dryers, cars, furniture, and even the occasional dead body that my friends and I like to poke with sticks. Well... not really, but you get the picture. The brick factory (it will always be the brick factory to me) is one messy place. It would probably be an excellent place to rob, rape, and murder a short female such as myself, but I don't like to think about that.     The city of St. Louis seems to be aware of the factory, and I believe there are plans for it. I can't imagine those plans include anything less than total destruction. The complex has been exposed to so much vandalism and natural deterioration that renovation seems out of the question. It's hard to say when anything might happen. It could be next week, it could be five years from now. When it comes to the city, one can never be sure. Regardless of what happens, I'm sure the factory will remain a popular site for the rest of its days.

More Information:
City of STL Development Activity
Pictures of the Factory
Press Release (Info)