Endangered:

Historic Brick Sidewalks

Photo from Riley County Historical Museum

Manhattan’s oldest neighborhoods stretch out over roughly 100 blocks and retain over 50% of their original brick sidewalks. These landscape features are roughly 120 years old. They complement and connect the area’s historic Queen Anne, Second Empire, Richardsonian Romanesque as well as Craftsman homes.

Homeowners must provide maintenance for the city owned brick sidewalks, however, many people do not have the resources or technical knowledge to maintain them property. Additionally, a large number of non-owner occupied homes have contributed to the deterioration of the sidewalks. The Manhattan/Riley County Preservation Alliance has featured the sidewalks on tours of endangered resources in the city. Technical assistance and grant incentives would help preserve these defining landscape features.