The Road Paved In Wood In Pittsburgh

 This street in Pittsburgh, paved in wood, is thought to be the last of it's kind.   Built in 1914,  it took five men more than six months to cut the 26,000 wooden blocks that would be soaked in creosote to  pave the 250 foot long street, named Camac Street in the Roslyn Place area of the city.

Wooden streets were common in Pittsburgh in the early 1900s.  Patented in 1859 by Samuel Nicolson, the wood, as opposed to cobblestones, made for quieter horse traffic.  Houses in neighborhoods around Nicholson paved streets were known to sell for 1/3 more than homes in other area, because the streets were less noisy.

In addition to being quieter, the Nicolson paving technique was flatter than cobblestone options, making it easier for horses to travel on them.

Wooden paving is hard to maintain, and prone to rot, and soon fell out of favor.
At  Roslyn place,  for  71 years, the street took a beating, enduring winter, the rise of the automobile and road salt. In 1985, residents, dedicated to preserving their street,  convinced the city to do a full-scale restoration rather than paving over the wood.

  Some owners even keep a small stock of wooden blocks on hand from that restoration and undertake their own  spot repairs.

Roslyn Place is the last remaining example of Nicolson Pavement in Pittsburgh, and is the only street in the United States entirely paved in accordance with the Nicolson paving techniques.  In 2016 the street was made a Historic Landmark.

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