Cherry Valley to change its construction plans to preserve the signature brick road

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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CHERRY VALLEY — Village officials say they’ll scrap plans to remove a stretch of the signature brick road and instead preserve the entire old-fashioned street.

The decision comes after residents pushed back against a plan to harvest bricks on East State Street between Lawrence and Van Buren streets and pave that roughly three-block stretch with blacktop.

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The village board will vote on a resolution at 7 p.m. Tuesday to remove the State Street brick removal project from the 2024 street improvement contract, which was initially approved April 2.

“The Village Board of Trustees is appreciative and encouraged by all the comments and concerns that they have received regarding the brick road and will work diligently to continue to preserve the entire stretch of East State Street throughout the oldest portion of the village of Cherry Valley,” the village said Thursday in a news release.

The village’s initial plan was to take the bricks, which date back to 1947, from that three-block stretch and use them for repair projects in other areas of the brick road in downtown. But residents packed a meeting Monday night to stand in opposition to that plan.

Pat Stegemann, a longtime village resident who helped organize people to attend the meeting, said about 100 people showed up to call on the board to reverse course on its brick removal plans.

“It was wonderful to see, it was wonderful to hear people,” Stegemann said on Thursday. “I’m going to ask people to be there again (Tuesday) to celebrate that it all worked out.”

Stegemann said residents didn’t just call on the village to keep they bricks — many offered solutions, too. For example, village officials said locating replacement bricks has been difficult, and some residents volunteered to help locate and deliver the bricks needed.

The old-fashioned russet brick road is considered by many to be part of village’s charm in downtown and through its historic neighborhoods.

The village’s decision to change course and preserve the bricks is a reminder of the power of residents banding together, Stegemann said.

“We’re all extremely happy about it,” she said. “We thank the trustees for changing their mind.”

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas