"West Virginia is home to many firsts. In fact, the state capitol, Charleston, was the site for the first brick-paved road in the world.

"Mordecai Levi, a Charlestonian, is credited with the design of the first brick pavement. Proving his design, he constructed a brick road on Summers Street between Virginia Street and Kanawha Street in 1870 with financial backing from Dr. John Hale, and by 1873, the whole block had been paved," the WOWK 13 NEWS says.

"To prove his claim to fame, Levi’s granddaughter, Nancy Wilson Cassady (Mrs. Robert Cassady), wrote a letter in June 1962 explaining the story to the Centennial Commission of West Virginia, even providing the original patent for the improved design from 1889."

"The information below has been told in old Charleston newspapers at the time of the laying of the first brick pavement on Summer's Street, and has been retold through the years," the wvculture.org says.

"The method of laying the first brick pavement in the U. S. was invented by Mr. M. Levi, a Charlestonian, and a piece of it was first laid on Summers Street in 1870, as an experiment. In 1873 the entire block was paved by this method (between Va. and Kanawha Sts. on Summers), and Mr. Levi was also the contractor.

"Dr. Hale, his business associate for many years here, financed the paving, by public subscription. (I am sure Dr. Hale, who was the promoter in the business partnership, not the inventor, would not have wished to get the credit for inventing said brick paving method, but he sometimes is given credit, mistakenly because he financed it). Mr. M. Levi's son, Mr. Plus A. Levi, is still living in Charleston and is ninety years old)."

"There have been several rather recent newspaper stories: one by Mr. Maginnis was in the Charleston Gazette of October 4th, 1953 and reviewed the first brick pavement and told that M. Levi invented it. The article was entitled, "Story of the Streets, Out of the Mud", the wvculture.org says.

"Mr. Maginnis also told of how a reproduction of the paving method which was invented by M. Levi and laid on Summers Street, was exhibited as late as 1933 at the Century of Progress Exposition held in Chicago, Illinois, after having been first verified by the National Research Council as being the first brick pavement ever laid in the U. S. and its inventor as being Mr. Mordecai Levi, who laid it first on Summers Street in Charleston, W. Va.

"The bricks and a copy of the original Patent Grant were from the collection of Dr. Roy Bird Cook, of Charleston."

"The original patent for the paving method invented by M. Levi is in the possession of a grand-daughter of Mr. Levi, Mrs. Robt. Cassady of Charleston, wvculture.org.

"It bears the official seal of the U. S. Patent Office In Washington, D. C. and is signed by the Assistant Secretary of the Interior, and the Commissioner of Patents. It "grants" to Mordecai Levi and his heirs or assigns for the term of seventeen years from the twenty-third day of April, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-nine, the exclusive right to make, use, and vend the said invention throughout the United States and the Territories thereof".

"The page facing describes the method of paving in detail, and there is also a drawing of a cross-section of the pavement. The patent number is 401.752."

"Anyone who follows history of Charleston or West Virginia has heard the story that we were the first city in the nation to have brick streets. When you think about much older cities like New York, Baltimore or Philadelphia, you wonder how this is even possible," the My West Virginia Home says.

"But the fact is that the first patent for a brick street did in fact originate here in Charleston. However, here's the interesting part: The man always credited to have designed the first brick pavement was MORDECAI LEVI. 



"A piece of it was first laid on Summers Street in 1870, as an experiment. In 1873 the entire block was paved by this method (between Virginia. and Kanawha Streets. on Summers Street , and Mr. Levi was also the contractor"."

"Did you know West Virginia is home to the first brick-paved street in the United States? Mordecai Levi experimented with an idea that he believed would improve the hard-packed dusty dirt streets in Charleston that would turn into mud during the spring rains," the Martinsburg, West Virginia - City Hall, says.

"He finished the first block of brick on Summers Street in 1873. Levi later got a patent for the paving method he invented. As WVDOH continues its work on Queen and King Streets in Martinsburg in preparation for paving, some of our City’s brick street history has been revealed."

"Before the late 19th and early 20th century, most streets were made out of dirt and gravel. At this time, however, the roads especially in cities became nicer and began to be constructed out of bricks. In 1870, a man named Mordecai Levi from Charleston, West Virginia decided to try out a new method for creating roads. He used bricks to pave Summers Street, working as the brain and muscle behind the endeavor while a certain Dr. Hale was financing the project," the Historical Bricks says.

"Because roads were constructed out of gravel or compacted dirt when it would rain parts of the road would wash away, or become a giant mud puddle. This meant that using those roads after a storm would be treacherous and very difficult if not impossible to traverse.

"Levi created the idea of using brick road construction to pave the early streets. By 1873, he had paved an entire block. He even sought out a U.S. patent in order to ensure that his idea of paving the roads was protected by law. Soon, bricks became the solution to the increasing problem of how to improve roads under heavier traffic."

"Well, some of the most interesting, most historic streets in America are made of brick. But did you know that the entire nation owes its beautiful brick streets to West Virginia? Charleston, West Virginia, to be precise, which is credited as the birthplace of this iconic infrastructure," the Only In Your State says.



"Traditional unpaved roads were notorious for their dust clouds in dry weather and muddy quagmires during rain, causing constant inconvenience and hazards for travelers. Desperate for a solution, the citizens of Charleston turned to an innovative idea proposed by local resident Mordecai Levi, namely, the use of brick as a paving material.

"Levi paved a block of Summers Street in Charleston, proving it could be done, and the idea took off and spread around the nation."

 World’s Longest Yellow Brick Road: world record in Sedan, Kansas

World's First FRP Floating Bridge, world record in Brookfield, Vermont

World’s Smallest Natural Navigable Harbor, world record in Depoe Bay, Oregon

World's Smallest Gasoline Station, world record in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota

World's Longest Floating Boardwalk, world record in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

World's Longest Main Street, world record in Island Park, Idaho

World's longest continuous bridge over water: world record near New Orleans, Louisiana

 World's Shortest Highway Tunnel: world record in Shady Valley, Tennessee

World’s Oldest Working Traffic Light: world record in Ashville, Ohio