Grand Rapids paved its first street in 1856 when workers graded Monroe Avenue (now Monroe Center) and laid down cobble stones to harden the surface and prevent ruts. Since that time, tarmac, concrete, and asphalt steadily displaced bricks and stone as the material of choice in road construction.
But brick streets are regaining popularity as an innovative way to add character and charm and slow speeding auto traffic in local neighborhoods. Consider the revitalizing Cherry Hill district, where sections of Wealthy Street recently were paved with bricks.
Perhaps more surprising, several of Grand Rapids' original cobble stone streets still survive today in a remarkably sturdy state of repair. Why these short stretches of historic city streets and alley ways have stood the test of time and avoided the advent of modern pavement remains unclear. But at least four cobblestone roadways remain in the central city, each bringing a certain historic appeal – as well as a small measure of environmental benefit – to their surroundings.
“It’s kind of an anomaly that we have any," said Rebecca Smith Hoffman, a local historic preservationist. "Obviously they’re an oddity.”
Rocky Road
Usually harvested from river beds, cobbles were stones used in the pavement of early streets. The stones were generally set in sand or bound together with mortar, enabling carriages, now and motorists, to travel on streets year around.
Pavingexpert.com describes cobble stone as the poor man’s “sett,” a stone chiseled into more rectangular form. A sett paved surface required considerable labor in dressing the stone with hand tools prior to laying, and assumed a suitably workable stone was available locally.
Cobbles, by comparison, were more irregular, plentiful, and well-distributed. The stones could be easily set into a base of sand or loose crushed stone to provide a serviceable surface. Cobble stone streets provided a hard, resilient surface that could be kept well-drained and comparatively mud-free throughout the year.
In fact, cobble stone streets are incredibly durable. They also provide the environmental advantage of allowing road surfaces to drain water more efficiently, unlike impermeable surfaces such as concrete.
Cobblestone Streets In Belknap
Cobblestones streets typically are associated with old European villages. But several fairly well kept examples of the early road paving technology still run throughout downtown Grand Rapids.
Built in the mid to late- 1800s, the cobble stone sections of Trowbridge and North are located in the Belknap Hill neighborhood, just a short walk from the Michigan Street Hill medical hub. Local leaders designated both streets as local historic landmarks in 1975.
Starting at Michigan Street, head north on Lafayette to Trowbridge. Turn left on the 200 block of Trowbridge and head up the steep cobble stone incline. A nearby cobblestone alley way is accessible via Hastings street, which runs along the south side of Belknap Hill parallel to I-196. From Trowbridge, follow Lafayette to Hastings and turn left. The alley will be on your left. Along the way, travelers will notice the old stone work and period residential structures that remain.
Another cobblestone city street is found in the 200 block of North. To reach it, begin by taking Lafayette north from Michigan Street to Cedar Street. Head east on Cedar, past Prospect. North is the next street to the right.
"North and Trowbridge are the last remaining examples of Cobblestone street paving in this city and possibly of the few remaining in the state," said Rhonda Saunders, a historic preservation specialist with the city of Grand Rapids. "They are significant in several ways: as an example of a craftsmanship long since unused in this country; the connection with the history and development of transportation; as well as the connection with a way of life in this city prior to the automobile. I'd say these streets are significant architecturally and socially."
In most cases, it is possible to complete this part of the walking tour in an hour’s time. This entire route is strewn with historic homes and it is well worth the time to travel off the main roads and into the neighborhoods. Sightseers might also want to take some time to explore the stunning vistas of the Grand River valley from atop Belknap Hill. These are easily viewed from Hastings, as well as Lookout Park near the intersection of Fairview and Newberry.
Rock Roads Back in Time
Yet another cobblestone alley is located within the historic Heritage Hill neighborhood. It runs from Lafayette to Prospect along the 300 block of Fulton Street. If you’re taking Lafayette, walk or drive south past Fountain Street. The alley is located on the left hand side immediately before Fulton Street. Follow it through to Prospect where you will find Davenport University.
Grand Rapids is known for its commitment to historic preservation. Heritage Hill was the nation's first urban neighborhood to be designated a historic district. Projects like the renovation of the Wealthy Street Theatre, the Berkey and Gay furniture factory, and the D.A. Blodgett Home have laid the groundwork for revitalization in the central city and in nearby districts such as Cherry Hill and Monroe North.
These cobblestone streets, all of which run through residential neighborhoods, are an equally important piece of that heritage. And while some are found in slight disrepair, each offers a sense of history and progress found nowhere else in the city.
To learn more about cobblestone streets, and the development of roads in Grand Rapids, check out Heart and Soul: The Story of Grand Rapids Neighborhoods by Linda Samuelson and Andrew Schrier or the History of the City of Grand Rapids by Albert Baxter. Both books are available at the Grand Rapids Public Library.
Photographs by Brian Kelly - All Rights Reserved
Images top to bottom:
North Avenue is very steep
Cobblestone close-up
Sign marker on North Avenue
Trowbridge is another steep incline
Detail of Trowbridge
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