The area was used for brick-making, hence the term, up until the 1840s when land values rose and merchant stores, warehouses, and housing became more prominent, although the area remained a relatively poor 'slum' area of the city.
For brick-making purposes, this area was used up to the 1840s. Afterward, with rising land values, merchant stores, warehouses, and housing took precedence over brick-making, though the region continued as an underprivileged 'slum' district within the city.