More than 150 people gathered Monday on Court Avenue to mark the 125th anniversary of George Bartholomew’s initiative to use concrete for road paving.
Most of the attendees — 75 or so — are in Ohio for the National Concrete Consortium’s annual conference which starts today in Columbus.
They saw first hand the portions of the original concrete mix Mr. Bartholomew used between 1891 and 1893 to pave Main Street, Columbus Avenue and Court Avenue around the Logan County Courthouse.
Bellefontaine Mayor Ben Stahler gave a brief history of the project and pointed out the former Family Pharmacy where Mr. Bartholomew experimented with concrete formulas.
Mayor Stahler also touted the area’s Native American history and tourist attractions such as Indian Lake, the Ohio Caverns, Campbell Hill and Mad River Mountain.
Former City Councilman Robert Notestine recounted how he argued to preserve Court Avenue 54 years ago when the city considered paving over the concrete pads with asphalt.
“I told them then that if we save it, people will come from all over the world to see it,” he said, noting he has met people from Europe and Asia who have visited the site.
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Patrick Piazza of Louisville, Ky., takes a photograph of Court Avenue during Monday’s ceremony marking the 125th anniversary of the first concrete street in America. He was part of the National Concrete Consortium. |
Read complete story in Tuesday’s Examiner.
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