October 30, 2003
Albany -- With all the rebuilding projects in Downtown Albany some people are making sure the history of the city is also preserved. Pieces of Albany's history will be used again, paving the way to tomorrow.
Thousands of bricks that made the downtown Albany streets in the early 1900's, are piled up and ready to be used again. Thronateeska Heritage Center Executive Director Tommy Gregors said "These are paver bricks that were made in Augusta. A lot of bricks were shipped in here around 1905 to 1911. We are trying to find out more about that, doing some more research on the company. "
Bricks like this are still part of Albany roads, underneath the asphalt on Broad, Washington, and Pine Avenues. Recent sidewalk updates unearthed these bricks.
Instead of throwing them in the landfill, the Thronateeska Heritage Center will use them in their Heritage Plaza..the last brick street in Albany. Gregors said "Years ago through sewer expansion or water pipes broken, just areas that were easier to patch with asphalt. These are areas that we can showcase the history of Albany, we've got the materials to replace this and fix it back like it would have been in the early 1900's."
The bricks will also be used to build the pathway linking the new RiverQuarium and Thronateeska, and tying it together at Victory Garden. "We want to try and create a pathway that fits with the feel and look we have down here now. These work very well, as materials and will also save us some money, too."
The bricks were made in Augusta, and have the letters H.H. and Augusta stamped on it. Almost one hundred years old, they are ready to build another chapter of Albany's history.
Thronateeska is raising money to pay for the construction projects using the historic bricks, and hopes to have them all finished by 2006.
posted at 4:37PM by jimw@walb.com
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