PUNTA GORDA — This city’s historic district is known for its brick streets, but they were endangered before a grass-roots movement came to the rescue in the 1980s.
After the city paved over a block of brick roadway following a public-works project in 1981, the citizens objected.
“The citizens said, ‘We want our streets. Let us lay them. If you don’t want to do it, let us do it,’ ” said Rick Keeney, Punta Gorda’s public works director.
Lifelong Punta Gordans Cindy Bazemore and neighbor Steve Persons look over Bazemore's scrapbooks that record the history of the Punta Gorda brick streets project. Cindy's parents, Pat and Patty Huntington, organized the grass-roots movement in the 1980s to save the brick streets from being paved over. Cindy was taking a break from working on the street. Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 5-9-2014.
Since then, citizen volunteers have teamed with the city to re-brick 18 blocks following sewer and stormwater pipe improvements.
The 18th block of bricks, in the 300 block of Durrance Street, was replaced May 9, after the city replaced the underground sewer.
“This exhibits the essence of Punta Gorda — community involvement, hands-on historic preservation,” said attorney Michael Haymans, who helped recruit volunteers for the latest effort. “This is what makes a small town someplace you want to live.”
Haymans said that in the 1980s, “People said, ‘No, we don’t want you replacing part of our history and aesthetics. By the way, we like the brick streets because they slow the traffic down.’ ”
Joining the volunteers on the hot and humid day were city manager Howard Kunick, who lives on Durrance Street, and Keeney.
“The public works department hand-removed the bricks,” Keeney said. “The utility department then came in and replaced the water and sewer lines. Then public works came back and put in the new curbs and the (asphalt) base and a sidewalk, which the street did not have before.”
Volunteer Cindy Bazemore took a break under a shady oak with her neighbor, Punta Gorda native Steve Persons, to look over a scrapbook containing old articles about the “Save Our Brick Streets” program.
Bazemore’s parents, Pat and Patty Huntington, and Persons’ mother were early leaders of the effort. Patty Huntington kept the scrapbook.
“I found a hand-written document titled ‘Guidelines for Re-Laying Brick Streets,’ written in 1990, and sent it to an individual in Adel, Iowa, who had learned of Punta Gorda’s volunteer effort,” Bazemore said. “Apparently, the rebricking of streets in Adel has paid off, as their 2010 Brick Street Project received an award for first place in the transportation category by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Iowa.
“My parents did a lot of outreach thanks to the many media stories,” Bazemore said, including articles in the Herald-Tribune, various magazines and a segment on CNN. “This prompted Bedford, Ohio, to move toward bricking their streets, as well. Who knew how far reaching their hard work and dedication would go?”
Bazemore said the Durrance rebricking was “a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute” to her parents, who died in 2007 and 2013, and Lonnie Persons, who died in 2014.
“A successful day of hard work with a community that appreciates its history,” Bazemore said. “It is nice to know that their legacy of the brick streets lives on.”
