A block of Philadelphia’s Camac Street has returned to its roots
and been restored to its original 1800s wood-block pavement.
In the early 20th century, about 20 miles of Philadelphia was paved
with wooden blocks, providing a quieter alternative to cobblestone
streets, which made a lot of noise as horses trotted through the
streets. Modern-day Deputy Commissioner of Transportation
Richard Montanez says the wooden blocks weren’t a totally popular
solution, though: “In the old days with horses, the wood would
absorb the urine and odors,” Montanez says. With the advent of
automobiles, the wooden blocks couldn’t hold the weight, so most
Philadelphian streets were repaved with asphalt by the 1920s.
Camac Street remained wooden to preserve the city’s past until it
was torn up in 2015. By then, the blocks had begun to rot and the
street was replaced with asphalt, as the city was sprucing up its
downtown to prepare for the arrival of Pope Francis. But in 2019,
Philadelphia received a
$1.2 million state grant
to restore some of its
historic streets, including
the block of Camac Street,
with original materials.
Today, Camac Street is
not a throughway and is
little more than an alley;
therefore, the street doesn’t
need to sustain heavy
traffic. But city developers
still needed to create a
modern wood-block street
that wouldn’t rot or break
apart. The city landed on
black locust sourced from
Lancaster, Pa.-based End
Grain Design and Reclaimed
Lumber. The black locust
was chosen for its strength
and resistance to rot. “It’s
a fairly robust hardwood
that we’re hoping will stand
the test of time,” Montanez
says. Now back to its
historic material, Camac
Street’s wooden blocks
celebrate Philadelphia’s
history, preserving the
street’s character for future
generations.
Courtesy of Steve Albert
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A block of Philadelphia’s Camac Street has returned to its roots
and been restored to its original 1800s wood-block pavement.
In the early 20th century, about 20 miles of Philadelphia was paved
with wooden blocks, providing a quieter alternative to cobblestone
streets, which made a lot of noise as horses trotted through the
streets. Modern-day Deputy Commissioner of Transportation
Richard Montanez says the wooden blocks weren’t a totally popular
solution, though: “In the old days with horses, the wood would
absorb the urine and odors,” Montanez says. With the advent of
automobiles, the wooden blocks couldn’t hold the weight, so most
Philadelphian streets were repaved with asphalt by the 1920s.
Camac Street remained wooden to preserve the city’s past until it
was torn up in 2015. By then, the blocks had begun to rot and the
street was replaced with asphalt, as the city was sprucing up its
downtown to prepare for the arrival of Pope Francis. But in 2019,
Philadelphia received a
$1.2 million state grant
to restore some of its
historic streets, including
the block of Camac Street,
with original materials.
Today, Camac Street is
not a throughway and is
little more than an alley;
therefore, the street doesn’t
need to sustain heavy
traffic. But city developers
still needed to create a
modern wood-block street
that wouldn’t rot or break
apart. The city landed on
black locust sourced from
Lancaster, Pa.-based End
Grain Design and Reclaimed
Lumber. The black locust
was chosen for its strength
and resistance to rot. “It’s
a fairly robust hardwood
that we’re hoping will stand
the test of time,” Montanez
says. Now back to its
historic material, Camac
Street’s wooden blocks
celebrate Philadelphia’s
history, preserving the
street’s character for future
generations.
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