Sidewalk Contractor Stamps: Take a Walk Back in Time
On many University Heights sidewalks, you can find stamped icons and text designating the contractor name or union, the city in which the business was registered, and year the concrete was set. These sidewalk contractor stamps are symbols of the pride that tradesmen and women displayed in building our community. They also hold important clues to our community’s historical development, and can help determine the age of a building since sidewalks are usually laid immediately before or after the first building is constructed on a block.
It is estimated that the first concrete sidewalks in San Diego were laid during the 1880's and that contractors began inlaying their names or company logos by the 1890’s. Some of the oldest sidewalk stamps in University Heights bear the name Brockway & Swarstad. James C. Brockway, Jr. was a local contractor who lived at 2074 Johnson Ave. near Vermont Street and his partner, Ole Swarstad, lived at F and 27th Streets in Golden Hill.
Thanks to the hard work and diligence of University Heights Historical Society volunteer, Bill Ellig, our community has an online record of over 350 historic contractor sidewalk stamps throughout University Heights, dating as far back as 1910. This important resource will increase awareness of our community’s history and help prevent further destruction of these important historical assets.
Unfortunately, many of these historic sidewalk stamps have been destroyed due to the construction of new sidewalks and corner ramps. The University Heights Historical Society has worked with the City of San Diego Engineering Department to implement measures for protecting these historic marks. Specifically, the Engineering Department and its subcontractors have agreed to cut any existing stamps and set them in the new concrete when new sidewalks or curb ramps are poured.
Please do your part to protect these important historic assets by:
Keeping any sidewalk stamps outside your home or business free of debris by sweeping or light hosing. Please, no scouring with soap or abrasives.
Immediately reporting any destruction of sidewalk stamps due to sidewalk construction to the City of San Diego Neighborhood Code Compliance Division at (619) 236-5500, or the University Heights Historical Society at uhhs@att.net.