Cinders. Here is another tidbit for the collective. About 25 years ago, one
of the local consulting companies prepared an overview of the City of San
Diego infrastructure and found documents in the City Archives that documented
the first sidewalk in 1880. There were lots of letters complaining the bright
white sidewalk blinded people when they walked along it, so the City of San
Dieg passed an ordinance mandating contractors to insert a certain percentage
of black biotite mica in the mix to dull the color. The sidewalks from 1880
to about 1910 all exhibit that black-specked effect of the biotite. After
that time period, gray cement of various types appeared and the black specks
dropped out of fashion.

The pressed concrete blocks with rock-like faces are common on post-1900
houses that maintained elements of Victorian-type homes. Italianate and Queen
Anne cottages shifted from cut granite, sandstone, and marble to the cheaper
cast materials. Between 1910 and 1925, those rock-faced first floor exterior
walls dropped out of favor. They were really rare after 1925, but I expect
some parts of the country will be exceptions.

Ron May
Legacy 106, Inc.