Reformatory Brick Works c1913
Monroe Historical Society photo #wsr071

As self-sufficiency was the watchword for the construction of the new Washington State Reformatory, one of the reasons the Monroe site was selected in 1907 was because of the excellent clay on the site suitable for the making of brick. A brick works was soon constructed with inmate labor and then the inmates began producing bricks, not only for the construction of the reformatory but also for other building projects in the area. This photo looks northeast across the brick works with the Dining Wing in the background at left and the Administration Building at right. Construction of the Cell Block is visible in the center background.