April 14, 2019, Sunday - Field Trip! The History of Paving Materials, a Walking Tour at Hennepin History Museum

Time: 12 PM – 3 PM

Location: Hennepin History Museum, 2303 S 3rd Avenue

Field Trip! The History of Paving Materials, a Walking Tour

We seldom stop to think about it, but the streets of Minneapolis were once paved with materials as various as the materials used in buildings along those streets. Brick, granite, even wood block streets and alleys connected city neighborhoods during periods of rapid growth around the turn of the last century.

Christian Huelsman of the Minneapolis Alley Initiative for Neighborhood Stimulation (MAINS) will lead a walking tour through the Warehouse Historic District, offering participants a look at remnants of the work of the civil engineers of yesteryear, including a soon to disappear section of cedar block surface. Meet up at Corner Coffee, 514 North 3rd Street. Christian will show historic documents that compare the merits of the various materials in terms of durability and cost-benefit analysis. We will discuss how the Heritage Streets Plan will guide the rehabilitation of brick streets into the future.