Brick manufacturers did not need to own the land from which they extracted clay. Men with limited means could pool resources and lease Ver Valen Brick Machines as well as the equipment needed for making, drying bricks and firing bricks. The average lease had seven to eight machines and averaged forty to sixty employees. By 1880 leasing was so well established in Haverstraw that seventeen land owners had twenty six leases for brick manufacturing in addition to their own brickyards. The De Noyelles property had four leases in the late 1800’s of which the Malley yard was one of the largest and most successful until 1927 when the Malley Brick Co surrendered their lease .
