[1][2] Alfred Hall had previously owned a company that produced porcelain and household wares but was inspired to begin production of Architectural terra cotta after receiving advice from his nephew.

The sheer size of the new group allowed it to become the leading manufacturer on the East Coast and secure contracts producing terra cotta for much of the steel-frame construction in the Northeast.

[1] At the time of the merger the company had four plants, in Perth Amboy and Rocky Hill, New Jersey, Staten Island, New York, and Eastpoint, Georgia.

[3] In 1921 the company was charged with violating the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and colluding with competitors by sharing pricing information with other manufacturers of terra cotta.

The company weathered that difficulty and subsequent fines, but was hit hard by the Great Depression, when construction of skyscrapers paused and terra cotta ornamentation suddenly seemed unjustifiably expensive.