Red Brick Road - Milton, Florida, USA - Old Spanish Trail Auto Route on Waymarking.com

In East Milton, Florida at the intersection of Red Brick Road and US Highway 90 is a portion of the National Register of Historic Places listing from June 23, 1994 recognizing Florida State Road No. 1. This road was built in 1921 and is now a preserved red brick portion of the Old Spanish Trail (OST). Due to its preservation and NRHP listing it is now one of the best preserved examples of brick road construction in Florida and of the Old Spanish Trail.

From the intersection one can travel west on Red Brick Road by motorized vehicle to the location of where a wooden bridge crossed Marquis Bayou leading to a steel bridge that crossed the Blackwater River. Drive west on Red Brick Road to Cathy Street and turn north. After crossing the railroad tracks turn west again onto Old Spanish Trail, this will give you an opportunity to drive on a section of the red brick OST. At the end of the road is the Marquis Bayou Marina which has ample parking for you to walk up to the red brick and concrete portion of the road and look across the water to see the continuation of the OST on the western bank (N. 30° 37.5393/W. 87° 01.7864). Note that the brick portion of the road changes to a concrete portion. This was designed by road engineers who thought that the brick road attaching to the wooden bridge would not be stable and last, so a concrete section was placed before the wooden structure.

Returning back to the intersection of Red Brick Road and US Highway 90 you can park in a grassy area and walk east to where the brick road continues to the east for approximately 6 miles. On this portion motorized vehicles are not permitted.

Note the brick roadway, this road section was constructed of 8.5” x 3.5” x 3.5” monolithic vitrified bricks grouted together on a packed, sandy clay foundation. A 4” wide concrete curbing on each side held the bricks in place and made it 9’ 8” wide with heavy clayed shoulders of 3’ 2” bringing the total width to 16’. A grade of 4’ on each side made the roadway 24’ in width. In 1927, due to the new state requirements for wider roads, 4.5’ concrete shoulders were added on each side of the curbing.

A little further east of this brick section you will note a concrete portion curving to the southwest and then abruptly ending. This concrete portion was constructed in 1936-37 when a overpass was constructed over the railroad tracks. A 500 foot section of concrete was paved over the bricks to create a "S" curve with the overpass in the center. The concrete at this point is what remains today.

In 1955 US Highway 90 was improved and a newer road was built to the south of the OST brick road. The brick portions were left and and today they have been preserved as part of the NRHP designation.

Submission Criteria: Distinctive or Significant Interest Website with More Information: [Web Link] Address of Waymark: Red Brick Road and US Highway 90 Milton, Fl USA

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Date Logged Log   11/13/2021 BoomersOTR visited it