Belknap Place, a street 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, as the U.S. urbanized and increasing numbers of motorized vehicles created a need for more durable roads, concrete street construction emerged as a new technology. The first concrete street in the U.S. was laid in Bellefontaine, Ohio, in 1891, using a type of concrete road developed by George Bartholomew and James C. Wonders; Bartholomew had learned about cement production at the Alamo Portland and Roman Cement Company, the first cement manufacturer west of the Mississippi. Built in 1914, Belknap Place stood at the forefront of this new pavement technology. It was constructed with an innovative patented process called Granitoid, which used a two-layer placement of concrete, helping the street survive 100 years without significant repair. Its stamped brick pattern provided a non-slip surface for horseshoes. Approved in 1914 by Mayor Clinton S. Brown, the project was to run from Dewey Place to West Agarita Avenue for 0.7 miles, and the $37,685.66 construction contract paid to the Texas Granitoid Company was shared by the city and property owners. Still fully functional, Belknap Place remains a significant piece of engineering history and one of the oldest surviving concrete streets in the United States, reflecting an era of burgeoning automotive transportation and innovative construction technology.
