Red brick goes down on Tyler’s streets
According to the city’s National Register documentation, the first street paving in Tyler began on July 2, 1906, when contractors Allen and Harrison laid red brick from Thurber, Texas, at railroad crossings.
The streets around the courthouse followed in 1907, and Oakwood Street from Broadway to the depot in 1908.
Another account puts the first brick streets at around 1912.
A 1925 bond added 15 streets, and brick paving continued through 1947.
Note
Accounts disagree on the start: July 2, 1906, in the city’s National Register documentation; around 1912 in another account.
Sources
- National Register of Historic Places nomination, Brick Streets Neighborhood Historic District (Texas Historical Commission Atlas)atlas.thc.texas.gov
- Tyler Morning Telegraph, 2015-08-17: Tyler's 13.8 Miles of Brick Streets Give East Texas Town Historic Charmtylerpaper.com
- National Register Multiple Property Documentation Form: Historic and Architectural Resources of Tyler, Texas (Diane E. Williams, 2000; THC Atlas)atlas.thc.texas.gov
on July 2, 1906, the first paving began with red brick from Thurber, Texas. Allen and Harrison, were the contractors, laying red brick at the crossings.
- Historic Tyler: Brick Streets Neighborhood Historic Districthistorictyler.org
Checked October 15, 2026. How the cards are filed