| Frequently Asked Questions When were the brick streets in Blair first laid down?
The Brick Streets of Blair were laid down in 1921.
How many miles of brick streets are there in Blair?
About 5 miles, unfortunately about half of those miles have been removed or paved over. About two and a half miles of brick streets remain.
See Map
When were the bricks on Washington Street paved over?
In 1971. For the most part, the bricks remain under the asphalt pavement on Washington Street.
How long can a brick street last?
No one knows. The brick streets of Blair have lasted 80 years with no known maintenance. New construction materials have pushed the estimate, by the construction industry, to over 150 years. The cobblestones laid down on Rome's Apian Way are about 2000 years old and counting. And have withstood everything from sandals, horses, Fiats, and even tour busses.
How many bricks are in a brick street?
Grant Street, between 18th and 19th, once known as Silk Stocking Row contains approximately 31,000 Bricks, perhaps 50 of those are broken or less than 2 per
one thousand.
Are brick streets more, or less, expensive to have than asphalt streets?
There is some debate on this topic. On a per square foot basis, over a large area, new or repaired brick may be more expensive than asphalt to lay down. However, because asphalt must be replaced every 15 years and bricks, as we have seen, will last more than 80 years, the bricks are less expensive over the life of the street. Importantly, the street projects being considered do not call for the replacement of entire streets
but rather the repair of existing brick streets where needed. Of the approximately 2.5 miles of remaining brick streets the city
of Blair estimates that it would cost $789,000 to pave them and $421,000 to repair and keep the bricks. The life of the pavement is quoted by the city of Blair to be 15 years. So the streets would need to be repaved more than 5 times in 80 years. History tells us that bricks last far longer than 15 years. And potholes, we haven't talked about potholes. When is the last time you saw
a pothole in a brick street?
Considering the financial cost figures above as well as the cultural cost to the people of the community who would lose the charm and tranquility of their brick streets, the cost to pave is prohibitive.
What kind of maintenance has been done on the bricks streets?
The City Public Works department has no record of maintenance being performed on the brick streets.
Do people really care about brick streets?
Some do, some don't. Across the country you will find progressive communities
have identified their brick streets as a community treasure -- bringing nostalgia and atmosphere back to their towns and cities. They find that repairing and re-installing brick streets are viable methods of paving urban streets.
Here at home in Blair, many favor keeping the brick streets simply because it is cheaper, others because they look good, and others because they have charm and historic value. The downtown merchants have focused on a brick facade theme as they return the charm of our old main street.
How can I find out more about brick streets in other towns?
This web site is a great start. On the
Links Page, you will find a number of sites that
illustrate the positive aspects communities throughout the national are taking to revitalize their cities and towns through brick street preservation and historical recognition.
Another suggestion is to search the internet using a Search Engines such as
Google.com
using search words "brick streets". [Try
the Search now.] Here you will find thousands
of web pages. This is a basic search but the overwhelming result of the search is a listing of communities that have successfully raised their community's awareness of the value and benefits of hanging on to an irreplaceable asset. Many sites review the creative and low cost steps taken to maintain these charming, community-defining streets. How many bricks can one man lay in a day?
Depends. In the 1920's a man by the name of James Grafield Brown made his living laying bricks for a Midwest paving company. Mr. Brown, it is said could 'easily' lay over 36,000 bricks in a single day. That's more than a city block..
Do other towns have long range plans to maintain their brick streets?
Many do. Many don't. Those that do are assured having brick streets well into their future. Those that don't, might. We have seen that it is the hand of man that destroys the brick streets, not time. So unless a community actively removes or covers over their brick streets they can last quite long, and be refreshed with reasonable cost. Some communities have passed ordinances and regulations to halt the unnecessary destructions of their brick streets. But the real key to preserving these assets is the communities' awareness of their value and charm.
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