Wooden Alley
4.6 (37)attraction
4.6 (37)One of the two surviving wood block alleys in Chicago, paved in 1909 and restored in 2011, a rare look at early city street engineering.
People
Todd, AlexanderOther
Description
Stretching 530 feet between North Astor and North State Streets, this public alley is paved with wood blocks, a technique derived from Nicolson pavement, a durable nineteenth century method that replaced basic plank roads. Originally laid in 1909 with creosote treated cedar, the surface was restored in 2011 with black locust wood blocks roughly four inches wide and six to ten inches long. The span carries asphalt repair patches, yet it remains a functioning example of early roadway engineering.