Bellefontaine, OH: 1891 First Concrete Street in America

(Satellite)

A man I  met on the sidewalk indicated that the courthouse has been restored rather recently. The first concrete street is south of the courthouse.

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Explore Our Gem posted

Ohio's Secret Invention – The Concrete Street

Here's something you've probably walked on but never knew was an Ohio innovation! 🛣️ Bellefontaine, Ohio, is home to the world's oldest concrete street! Court Avenue was paved with concrete in 1891, making it a groundbreaking achievement in infrastructure history. Before this, most streets were either dirt or cobblestone, and the durability of concrete was largely unknown. Bellefontaine's decision to experiment with this new material proved to be revolutionary. Over 130 years later, parts of that original concrete street are still intact and functional! It's a testament to both the innovation of Ohio engineers and the lasting quality of their work. This might seem like a small thing, but it represents how Ohio continually pushes boundaries and embraces new technologies. The concrete street industry that developed from this innovation transformed America's infrastructure and helped build the modern highway system we use today. Standing on that street is like standing on a piece of American innovation history. It's a powerful reminder that sometimes the most important breakthroughs are the quiet ones that fundamentally change how we live. Have you ever visited Bellefontaine? 🧡

[A lot of comments flag this as AI garbage.]

Deb Laird: That's not Bellefontaine or the street. I believe the sign is brown or golden not green.

Dennis DeBruler commented on the above post
This is the real street, Aug 26, 2018.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Deb's comment
Indeed, the signs were brown.

This plaque is in front of the base of the statue that you see in the middle of the road.

Another plaque is on the corner of the courthouse square:

Around the base of the statue is a series of plaques:

The street itself. (Yes, it is unfortunate that my shadow is in the photo. But I could not see how I could avoid it.)

I thought I took a close up of some of the squares. About half the surface has needed repair. Below is a closeup from this photo of the courthouse.

Digitally Zoomed