How long do adobe bricks last?

Properly protected adobe bricks last for centuries. The Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe has stood since 1610. San Esteban del Rey Mission at Acoma dates from 1629. Taos Pueblo has been continuously occupied since roughly AD 1000–1450. Longevity depends almost entirely on shielding the brick from prolonged water contact. An intact plaster coat — re-mudded annually in traditional construction, re-lime-plastered every several years in modern work — preserves the brick indefinitely. A watertight roof and ground drainage that keeps water off the wall base do the rest. Exposed adobe in a wet climate erodes visibly within years. The brick itself does not chemically decay.