The Lincoln Highway was the first paved highway to stretch from coast to coast. A two mile length of the road runs through Columbia, Pennsylvania.
We worked with PADOT, Larry Weaner Associates and the Borough to develop a streetscape plan to enhance the Columbia section of the Highway.
A prominent feature of the Highway were markers along the entire route, one of which resides in the
Borough. We decided that we would like to use the medallion from the marker as an element of the
design to celebrate the Highway's historical significance.
We worked with Pennsylvania craftsmen Peace Valley Tile to develop a Lincoln Highway tile which could
become an educational element in the sidewalks of the project. In an inexpensive approach,
the tiles would be placed in a decorative segment of the sidewalk every thirty feet.
The sidewalk was designed to work with it's surroundings. The Chestnut Street Historic
District had sections of brick sidewalk in bad condition that were reused.
A design for this area used brick strips surrounding the walkway. Local Vo-tech students were
paid to remove the brick and relay it. (Coloring of the tile panel concrete was deleted from the budget.)
Learn more about the Lincoln Highway
here:
http://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/
The official Lincoln Highway Association site.
401 Vassar Avenue Swarthmore PA 19081 2020 - telephone 610 544 9803 - plarsende@yahoo.com