T.B. Townsend was a farmer and building company owner. He had one of "the most extensive and well-improved farms in" Marion County, Ohio

Marion County, Ohio

Marion County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 66,501. Its county seat is the city of Marion and is named for General Francis "The Swamp Fox" Marion, an officer in the Revolutionary War....

 at the start of the 20th Century, the 2500 acres (10.1 km²) Rockland Farm. He was also president of T. B. Townsend Brick and Contracting Co. in Zanseville, Ohio, claimed to be the largest brick factory in Ohio at the time.

Background

Townsend was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 in 1837 and moved to Beverly, Ohio

Beverly, Ohio

Beverly is a village in Washington County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,282 at the 2000 census...

 in 1846. He moved to Zanesville in 1867. his properties included a carriage house

Carriage house

A carriage house, also called remise or coach house, is an outbuilding which was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and the related tack.In Great Britain the farm building was called a Cart Shed...

, horse barn, granary

Granary

A granary is a storehouse for threshed grain or animal feed. In ancient or primitive granaries, pottery is the most common use of storage in these buildings. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals.-Early origins:From ancient times grain...

, an "immense" cattle barn, a store, dwelling house for operator, and four houses "for the men that work on the ranch". The property was overseen by Hans Johnson, a Dane. Townsend also owned stockyards and the office of the Townsend Cattle Co. Townsend raised cattle including stockers and feeders, as well as hogs.

Building career

Townsend became a mason and then a contractor and builder at the age of 21. He built several stores, dwellings, court houses, railroads, sewers, and bridges. His works include the Muskingum County Courthouse

Muskingum County Courthouse

The Muskingum County Courthouse is a historic building in Zanesville, Ohio. It was designed by T.B. Townsend and H. E. Myer, and built in 1877 with stone, brick, and slate in an Italianate architecture style...

, Wood County Courthouse

Wood County Courthouse and Jail

The Wood County Courthouse and Jail, located in Bowling Green, Ohio, USA, is Wood County's third courthouse. It was built after citizens decided to move the county seat from Perrysburg to Bowling Green. Ground was broken on November 28, 1893, and the cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1894...

, Guernsey County Courthouse

Guernsey County Courthouse

The Guernsey County Courthouse is located on U. S. Route 40 in Cambridge, Ohio. The property was listed on the National Register on 1973-07-16.-History:...

, Tuscarawas County Courthouse

Tuscarawas County Courthouse

The Tuscarawas County Courthouse is located at 125 East High Avenue in New Philadelphia, Ohio. The courthouse was constructed by Thomas Boyd in 1882 in the Classical Revival style. An expansion was added in 1990 to alleviate the needs of a growing population and blends in with the older structure....

, Miami County Courthouse

Miami County Courthouse and Power Station

The Miami County Courthouse is an historic building in Troy, Ohio, United States. Built in 1885, it was designed by noted Ohio architect, Joseph W. Yost, who also designed the similar Belmont County Courthouse built at the same time in St. Clairsville. It has high arched windows, Corinthian...

, and the Arlington Hotel

Arlington Hotel (Zanesville, Ohio)

The Arlington Hotel was a historic hotel along U.S. Route 40 in Zanesville, Ohio, United States. Built in 1883 in the Italianate style, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It has since been demolished.-External links:...

 (since demolished).

Brick was in high demand for use as pavers (including at the "Brickyard" racetrack Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....

) in the early 20th Century and Townsend's bricks are collected along with other historic examples at "Redbud Alley" in Columbus, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

. Townsend was reported to have located a vein of clay 25 feet (7.6 m) thick which he used to make vitrified brick for street paving.