Walks, Drives & Parking

Historically, walkways in Palestine were native stone, concrete, brick, gravel, earth, or grass. While driveways are often thought of as 20th-century inventions made necessary by the automobile, driveways have been a feature of historic properties as long as there have been horses, wagons, and carriages.

While additional parking was not often a historic feature, the need for additional parking is often a reality. Despite this need, additional parking can easily detract from the historic character of a landmark or district, so must be designed carefully and with approval.

Preserves History

• Keeping and maintaining walks and driveways that are original concrete, brick, stone, crushed rock, or gravel
• Choosing locally occurring iron stone instead of other varieties.
• Replacing non-historic walks and driveways with historically appropriate replacements when repair or replacement is needed.
• Carefully matching historic masonry in color and texture when conducting repairs.
• Locating additional parking at the rear of the building, and screening it.
• Using historically appropriate fencing and landscaping to make additional parking less noticeable.

Damages History

• Using synthetic or non-traditional materials such as asphalt, broken tile set in concrete, poured concrete laid without dividing seams, rough concrete blocks, rounded concrete paving stones or rip-rap.
• Constructing additional parking that is obvious from the street