The signature structure in Sayreville—the circa 1875 water tower base on Main Street and Memorial Way—is all that remains of the Sayre & Fisher Company. A wooden tank atop the tower was the source of water used to soften clay so it could be easily pressed into brick. The Fisher family's long association with the company spanned three generations: Edwin Fisher followed his father as general manager and, in 1908, succeeded James Sayre as president; Edwin’s son Douglas J. Fisher was named president in 1927. Douglas Fisher resigned in 1932 when the family divested all of its company interests. The general decline of the brick business led to the permanent closing of the company in 1970 , and the plant was demolished not long after. A brass plaque on the restored 40-foot tower dedicates the site as a memorial to those immigrants who by “their toil, labors, and work ethics, built a solid foundation for the community.”
Arcadia
