The brick grows around a taxSourced
Counting bricks encouraged larger bricks
Britain’s brick tax charged according to the number of bricks. Manufacturers responded with larger units, reducing the count needed for a building. In 1801, oversized bricks became subject to double duty. The dimensions of a building material changed in response to how it was taxed.
A tax on quantity prompted a change in size.
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Brick tax · Wikimedia contributors
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Reviewed: 2026-10-05