October 12th, 2010

The Contractor, Subcontractors and City Officials met Thursday, October 7th to review the conditions of Phase I of the historic Brick Street project. Throughout the process questions have been raised as to the overall apperance of Court and Main Street, specifically the “birdbaths” or visible depressions and large number of cracked or broken brick amongst the finished area.

Subcontractors were able to explain this occurance. Over the 100 years of use, wear patterns emerged on the bricks as they were originally laid. During the process of removing, cleaning, and discarding inferior blocks, the bricks became shuffled. Any two bricks that may have experienced the same wear pattern were no longer laid side by side, causing slight height differences.

While some suggest that more depressions are visible on Main Street, the Contractors and City Officials found that the depressions exist throughout Court and Main respectively. Contractors speculate that the birdbaths may be more apparent on Main street due to the higher traffic levels the original road endured.

It is important to note that the streets have been built as specified by the engineers and there is no question of the roads’ structural integrity. The appearance of the streets is a combination of 100 years of use, history, and character.

Officials were aware that the preservation of the historic streets through the use of 100 year old materials would require a finishing stage. As was planned and announced at the beginning of the project, City Officials and Contractors will survey the roads and mark locations that need repair before the completion of the Brick Streets in November. Every attempt will be made to give a finished product of which the community can be proud.