Neighbors work to preserve Detroit history brick by brick

DETROIT – Volunteers are eradicating 200,000 kilos of historic brick on Detroit’s east aspect by hand.

These bricks shall be used to assist repair and protect Virginia Park Road, one of many metropolis’s final brick-paved roads.

The bricks aren’t simply 1,904-made pavers.

“That is our historical past,” stated Jane Rohloff. “It’s all historical past, from the place they got here to who set them.”

However eradicating 200,000 kilos of them isn’t simple.

“That is onerous work, and I’m glad the solar has gone down,” stated Tony

It’s required for ITC holdings and DTE vitality’s new substation on Detroit’s east aspect, and conviently sufficient, it matches the identical brick right here On Virginia Park Road.

Then somebody within the neighborhood got here up with an thought.

“She stated that DTE and ITC could be keen to donate the bricks to us and provides us an opportunity to take these bricks fairly than put them in a landfill,” stated Steve Waldrop.

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Virginia Park neighbors and volunteers are doing the heavy lifting.

“I feel it’s faster for me to throw them out and stick them on the pallet,” Tony stated.

But it surely’s with the aim.

“There’s three streets on Virginia Park between Woodward and the Lodge Freeway, and we’re hoping to rebrick these streets and reuse these to switch the damaged ones,” Waldrop stated.

As a result of they perceive a brick-paved highway says rather a lot a few neighborhood.

“I feel it offers it numerous character,” Tony stated.

And character is one thing Virginia Park Road has numerous.

“The block I reside on was bricked in 1894, which is 2 years earlier than Henry Ford was driving his car on the streets of Detroit,” Waldrop stated. “It was designed for wagons and bicycles,

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Residents say the bricks want saving.

“All the homes on the road are very properly maintained, and to maintain the present preservation of the brick, I feel it might preserve the character,” Tony stated.

The rebricking of this road would price an estimated $2 million, and residents are hoping they’ll get a state grant to assist.

Neighbors hope with funding they’ll begin Rebricking within the subsequent yr.