Street Paving – Tyler TX

Description

By 1923 only about five miles of Tyler’s 130 miles of street were paved and most residential streets remained unpaved. A bond for street paving passed in 1925 by Tyler provided funding for continued street paving, some of it in south central residential areas. When Federal money became available in the 1930s, the City applied for grants to continue the paving efforts. Paving using both brick and asphalt was conducted by the Civil Works Administration (CWA), the Progress Works Administration (PWA) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the mid-to-late 1930s (City of Tyler Engineering Records).

By 1942 about 20 miles of red brick streets existed in Tyler including the 11 streets in the Brick Streets Neighborhood Historic District, the Azalea Residential Historic District (NR 2003) and the Charnwood Residential Historic District (NR 1999). In addition to acquiring brick from the Thurber Brick Co. and the Mineral Wells Brick Co., some brick for street paving in Tyler came from the Tyler Brick Co., a local firm saved from bankruptcy by paving contracts (City of Tyler Engineering Records).

A large area still has the brick streets and has been designated a National Historic District: Brick Streets Neighborhood Historic District. Roughly bounded by South Broadway, West Dobbs St., South Kennedy Ave., and South Vine Ave.