2 minute read
HUNTSVILLE SIDEWALKS: GROUNDING FOR SPACE AND THE FUTURE
Written by Nancy Wilkinson Van Valkenburgh
Huntsville is a place where we always look up to the stars and into the future. But before we move, we have to have a point of reference. We need to be grounded to have the stability to move up and beyond. Some of that grounding are the sidewalks beneath our feet.
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Looking down is something we rarely do. But when we do, we might be surprised by what we see. We might find a sidewalk from Huntsville’s earliest days made with handmade brick from clay on or near the site of the sidewalk. Or, not knowing its value, our city might have removed a rare sidewalk made of limestone as they did in the 1980’s near the Annie Mertz Center on Randolph and White Streets.
There were sidewalks around the Courthouse Square from Huntsville’s earliest years. A portion dating to around 1869 was uncovered in the 1970’s when streets and sidewalks were being repaired. In 1974, at the urging of architect Harvie Jones and the Jones and Herrin Architectural firm, a section on East Side Square was uncovered and exposed under plexiglass for citizens to see. Through the years, the plexiglass was discolored and the bricks were not visible. The display was redone by a local group to celebrate Alabama’s Bicentennial in 2019 and was documented by Carol Codori.
Some of the downtown sidewalk renovation has been for safety reasons. Every effort has been made to save what could be saved and if historic sidewalks needed relaying to use the same bricks, patterns and methods as closely as possible. Bricks could be laid in several patterns: running bond, basket weave, herringbone, diagonal, and variations.
Concrete sidewalks were used in much of the 20th Century. An examination can show you what type of gravel (aggregate) the concrete company used with the cement to make the concrete. Some used river rocks from the Tennessee River. These will have a brown tone. Some companies used limestone that was plentiful from the mountains in our area. These sidewalks will be gray or off-white. A fun game is to let children identify which sidewalks were made with gravel or limestone.
You might find footsteps in concrete. One such commemoration was on July 20, 1994 with the placing of Astronaut Alan B. Shepard’s moon boot footprints in concrete at Alabama Constitution Village to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landing. Adjacent were the footprints of 25 Huntsville/Madison County school students. There is a commemorative plaque in the park.
A block south and west is the Early Works Museum where the Fountain’s Courtyard is surrounded by commemorative bricks. They were placed by many to honor loved ones or to enhance the water feature that can be enjoyed by children at scheduled times.
Oftentimes, the builders of sidewalks used beautiful details to enhance the utilitarian value of the sidewalks. Drain covers or markers with the builders’ names are embedded in the streets. Many can be seen in the walkways of our historic areas.
A sidewalk can be a thing of beauty as well as useful for its purpose. When we take a walk this Spring, we can remember those who walked before us and envision those who will walk after us. And as we move forward, we can remember and honor the best of the past and know that one day we will be the ones who others follow. n
