"Street Paving"
Photos by Adam Paul and Ira Wexler
Thanks to Greg Spencer


Quick Quiz: What kind of paving is this?!?

In these days where Asphalt and Concrete are king, and perilous potholes are still frequently encountered obstacles to commuters, it seems a bit strange to think that other older paving options have seemed to provide a more durable surface than their newer counterparts.  In many spots, these surfaces continue to serve well through the present day.

A Look at Old Paving Mediums:

WOOD PAVING

Among the earlest paving styles was the use of wood paving.  This surface consisted of short wooden blocks, lined into a paving base.  This surface had a tendency to wear smooth and absorb a significant amount of tar and grease.  The technique was dropped rather early, although three complete stretches of wooden streets persisted at least until 1949:

At this date, the streets were said to resemble brick paving, from the grease and oil deposits.  All have long since been paved, but as seen below, tiny snippets can be peeped out in spots.

COBBLESTONE PAVING

Dating to the early days of the city, Cobblestone in it's proper sense consists of roughly hewn stones varying from 3 to 8 inches long placed in an irregular arrangement in a soft base, usually sand.  The reason for the coarse surface was to maximize traction for both the horses hooves and the smooth wooden wheels that plied them in early days.  Later, the introduction of rubber tires (as well the the new lack of horse droppings cluttering the roads) put the tractive effort into the wheels themselves, thus leading to the desire for smoother surfaces, spelling the end for construction of new streets using the rough surface.

Cobblestones did persist for many years however.  As late as 1948, over 8 miles of Cobblestone streets remained, the majority in South Baltimore.  By 1962, this had been reduced to 2 miles, confined mostly to small alleys on the South side.  Today, close inspection of the Federal Hill area seems to indicate that every one of these passages has since been repaved, mostly in bland, monotonous concrete.  As a result, it will depend on neglect and decay to once again bring real cobblestones to the surfaces of the streets of Baltimore.

BELGIAN BLOCK PAVING

Today, what is more commonly referred to as "Cobblestones" is a misnomer.  This is in actuality Belgian Block, which consists of Granite Blocks cut to a regular size to be tightly fitted in a base bed of Concrete.  These blocks are usually laid perpendicular to the flow of traffic in an offest pattern similar to that on brick walls.  The blocks themselves typically consist of a variety of shades, from a deep grey to a light sand color.

Belgian Block paving was first used about 1880, and was the dominant paving seen in the urban areas for most of the first half of the 20th Century.  The surface was attractive and durable, but offered a slightly jagged ride when compared with the newer paving materials, such as Asphault.  The result was a wholescale conversion of a number of Belgian Block Streets to newer surfaces with "pores" designed to trap grease and oil.  In spite of this, a healthy number of Belgian Block Streets have remained unchanged to this day, particularly in the historic areas surrounding the Harbor on the East and South sides.  By now, they have garnered a desirable historic character, enhancing property values in these "renaissance" neighborhoods, even though they are usually mistakenly referred to as cobblestones.  Incidentally, the answer to the "Quick Quiz" at the top of the page is indeed "Belgian Block" and not "Cobblestone."  The photo, was taken of South Wolfe Street, below Aliceanna.

ASPHALT BLOCK PAVING

Another of the early paving materials used was one called Asphalt Block, consisting of long narrow asphalt blocks, primarily in two shades of a blueish gray.  This surface was apparently first used around the beginning of the 20th Century.  It appears that it was not particularly popular, judging by its rarity today.  In spite of this, asphalt would ultimately become the paving medium of choice for the majority of city streets, in its raw, sludgy, moldable form, for the creation of smoother thorofares.

BRICK PAVING

Brick paving in Baltimore City reportedly dates back to 1881, the first examples of which were set in a sand base.  Beginning in 1901, this was revised to a concrete base, for better stability, and to avoid a wavy surface after years of use.  Continued improvements to brick paving techniques included the addition of a mastic cushion for even better stability.  Also included on more significant streets was the addition of "Buff Bricks" to serve as lane markers, eliminating the need to paint such markers.  While the construction of Brick Streets was labor intensive, it was theoretically less hasslesome to maintain a well laid brick street, as defective bricks could simply be replaced, without the need for patching or complete repaving.

A Public Works program in 1935 provided for the paving of about 12 miles of city streets in Vitrified brick.  Today, a great number of streets once employing this paving have been paved over, only to emerge in spots, or exposed wholly when the street is striated for repaving in Asphault.  Interestingly, a number of spots once paved in brick still proudly display this paving, having done so continuousky for over 60 years or more.  Like the Belgian blocks, the bricks have come to embody a cerain quaint charachter unknown to concrete or asphault, and after a spell of sharp repaving, have begun to hold back the forces looking to cover them up.  In a few spots, entire blocks of streets have had their brick surfaces repaved in brick, and even had the addition of crossing metal drainage gutters implemented as well.  The hopeful result is that these survivors of days gone will continue to offer a fresh change from the Deep Gray and Sand colored standards that have replaced them in all too many places.

SURVIVORS:
FROM NEWER TYPES TO OLDER
CLICK ON ANY OUTLINED PHOTO FOR A LARGER, HIGH QUALITY VERSION

Bricks as far as the eye can see... Change the lamp posts, replace the cars with classics from a different era, and you have a very convincing movie set from days long since passed.  This expansive brick scene stretches West on Fleet Street from Oldham Street in the area most commonly referred to as "Greek Town"


Eager Street, between Calvert Street and Guilford Avenue, shows the "Buff Brick" often used to denote lane markers on busier streets.  Aside from the patchs and the decayed portion of the street across from the van, the surface has help up pretty well for its age.


Ashburton Street offers a novel variety of the "buff brick" markers.  The street is paved entirely in red brick, but as it nears the intersection of Harlem Avenue, a short stretch of "Centerline" appears to guide traffic.  In addition, buff bricks also denote crosswalks at this intersection.  Brick at it's finest!


In a scene definitely reminiscent of old Baltimore, East Oliver Street at Lakewood shows classic brick with all the extras, a truly classic slice of Baltimoreana.  Thanks to Greg Spencer for the lead!


Bricks in the Burbs?!?  While bricks rarely venture far beyond the city's early 20th Century boundaries, they can be found in limited use and survival in some areas.  For example, these soft red bricks on Strathmore Avenue near Hopeton offer proof that bricks are not simply an inner-city thing!  PHOTO COURTESY OF IRA WEXLER.


FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD: Tiny litte Ignatius Street off of Remington Avenue could easily be mistaken for a driveway.  This "thorofare is actually a specimen of a tan toned brick street unlike the other red toned brick streets in the region.  While a couple of red patches have since been installed, the majority of the street retains the earthy tone.



Giving a hint as to what Asphalt block paving was like is this snippet of Falls Road just above the 28th Street Bridge, showing a portion of the medium hugging the rails of the old Ma & Pa Railroad


This Belgian Block driveway off of Riverside Drive in Federal Hill is among the rougher of specimens, and carries more of the rough feel of cobblestone than most others of this type of paving.


Authentic Belgian Block just seconds from the Inner Harbor!!! Despite the extensive redevelopment of the Harbor area, there are numerous sites nearby where Belgian Block can be found.  This alley just East of Calvert Street above Lombard carries no Street Sign name at all (although a turn of the century map refers to it as Franklin Lane), yet it carries a lovely tableau of Belgian Blocks leading off to Water Street.  Other stretches nearby include portions of Water Street and Montgomery Street.

GONE! - As of 1/02, this street and the buildings West of it, no longer exist.  For some then and now photos of the street, refer to the "Disappearance of Franklin Lane" page in this section.



The intersection of Pleasant and Sharp Streets in Downtown could best be desribed as the "Baltimore Historic Paving Museum" for its use of three different vintage paving mediums within 50 feet!  In the foreground lies conventional Belgian Block paving stones, succeeded past the storm drain by Asphault Block paving, which in turn gives way to Red Brick paving with an asphault patch.  A true find indeed!


So far, the largest surviving patch of Cobblestone located is this patch surviving at an alley entrance from Summit Avenue between St. Johns Road and Colorado Avenue in Tuxedo Park.  Every alley encountered so far within the city has been completely repaved of these irregular stones.


If only you look hard enough, you may just find!!! It was on a routine deadheading operation on the MTA bus that I encountered this relic, Buren Street, near the City Jail below Madison reveals 100% USDA approved COBBLESTONES!!!  Worn and clanky, but still a sight for ghost-hunting-sore eyes!


A rather extensive search amidst the alleys of South Baltimore yielded nothing, yet a trip to the Cross Street Market, and the lack of quarter to park in the close-by spaces yielded this.... MORE COBBLESTONE! :)


This is Seldner Place, panning East from Race Street just about West Street in the remnants of Sharp-Leadenhall.  This old street is one of the very few surviving examples of true cobblestone in the city, and is likely the best remaining example.


Not only does Seldner Place carry a brick endpaving at its mouth, but also a broadstone gutter in its center.  One must certainly wonder what this paving job dates to, as it's likely over 100 years old!



Sometimes it takes digging through layers of surfaces to find a true original.  Asphalt alley is worn down to reveal aggregate paving, which in turn is cracked to reveal a tiny portion of ORIGINAL WOOD PAVING dating from the 18th Century.  This little gem is located on Lovegrove Street above Madison in Mount Vernon.

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