What would have been here?

Is your sidewalk the same age as your house? If you own a home that pre-dates the Civil War, probably not. According to primary documents from the early nineteenth century, it looks like the most common material for sidewalks in America was mud. In other words, there’s much more written in the form of complaints about unpaved walks than descriptions of hard surfaces.

There are some other materials that were used to create pedestrian-friendly paths that weren’t impervious. In some areas, archaeological evidence suggests the use of small, aggregate-like sand, gravel, small river pebbles, and even oyster shells. This, of course, is limited by what resources were available locally.

Most original hand-made brick walks haven’t survived beyond 200 years. This is partly due to changes I’ve described above as well as to a glazed surface that can erode quickly. Brick is the most common material chosen for sidewalks when there have been preservation efforts in historic districts.

Sandstone was also used for sidewalks, but it seems to be limited to mostly larger cities and very expensive late Victorian era homes. Limestone and granite can also be found in some rare instances.

In my area, not far from the PA slate belt, a few towns used large slabs of slate. Unfortunately, not only do changes occur, tree roots mature and lift the slabs, resulting in their replacement to reduce liability. Most of the remaining sections of slate walks will likely disappear in my lifetime.

How to Choose

The design of the new “old” sidewalk should incorporate features that make it quite durable to your region’s environment, should be accessible, and should be safe for all intended traffic (the original pedestrians on those historic sidewalks probably didn’t wear those spiky-heal shoes and in-line skates). I also think it’s important to select a material that’s a compliment, not a distraction, to the historic character of your home.