Belknap Place

This street, located in the Monte Vista historic district of San Antonio, is the oldest existing concrete pavement in Texas and a significant civil engineering achievement. At the turn of the 20th century, the U.S. was urbanizing and new, more durable roads were needed for the increased number of motorized vehicles. In 1891, the first concrete street was placed in the U.S. in Bellefontaine, Ohio. This type of concrete road was developed by George Bartholomew and James C. Wonders. Bartholomew learned about cement production at the Alamo Portland and Roman Cement Company, which was the first cement manufacturer west of the Mississippi.

Built in 1914, Belknap place was at the forefront of the new pavement technology. It was constructed with an innovative patented process called “granitoid” which used a two-layer placement of concrete. This process has enabled the street to survive 100 years without significant repair. The stamped brick pattern of the road provided a non-slip surface for horseshoes.

Construction of the street was approved in 1914 by Mayor Clinton S. Brown and was to start at Dewey Place and end at West Agarita Avenue (0.7 miles). The construction contract of $37,685.66, paid to the Texas Granitoid Company, was split by the city and property owners. This significant piece of engineering history, and one of the oldest surviving concrete streets in the United States, is still fully functional and is a reminder of the era of burgeoning automotive transportation and innovative construction technology.