Melrose Sidewalk Companies

Ever since I started walking to the bus, I have noticed the variety of companies that have built Melrose's sidewalks over the years. The companies use to embed plaques into their sidewalks for branding and advertising. Here are the ones I have found wandering around Melrose over the years. While I haven't found any new ones in years, unfortunately, I have seen that several have disappeared due to construction.

  • Bond Brothers

    Everett, MA
    Very rare - only two so far; however, the company still exists (www.bondbrothers.com) in Everett and is still led by a Bond!

  • Lucius A. Carter & Son

    Malden, MA
    This is the only company I have found that worked with bricks and flagstones...

  • Chris

    ??? - 1933 earliest date
    Only one seen so far is a driveway on Foster Street...

  • Hind

    Boston, MA - 1914 earliest date
    These are some of the earliest plaques I have seen (there are several on Bellevue Ave. between Porter St. & The Fellsway and a couple more at the west end of Emerson St.). I cannot find any information about this company, but, in a ironic twist given the animal design, the first official headquarters of the MSPCA was dedicated at 19 Milk Street in 1886.

  • Hoffman

    Melrose, MA
    One of three main companies hired to build the city sidewalks; they also built some private walkways and steps. Three varieties with the acorn one being very rare -- I have only seen it a couple of times; this one is on Gooch St.

  • D. McDonald Co.

    Malden, MA
    Primarily built private walkways and driveways with the branding of "Granolithic Walks", which is a unique method combining cement and fine aggregate such as granite. Four different versions so far.

  • Adams Pond Co.

    Boston, MA - 1909 earliest date
    Only one seen so far is on Summer Street and it is tied for earliest overall date, 1909. Notice that they were located on Milk St. in Boston, right near Hind's location.

  • G. Rotondi & Sons

    Melrose, MA - 1933 earliest date
    One of three main companies hired to build the city sidewalks. Must have had a second son join the business!

  • S. Rotondi & Sons

    Stoneham, MA - 1932 earliest date
    Must of been pretty interesting conversations at the Rotondi family reunions! Interestingly, Melrose hired D&R General Contractors of Stoneham, owned by Robert Rotondi, to completely redo all aspects of the Porter Street roadway, including sidewalks. Plus, there are still Rotondi businesses in Stoneham doing asphalt repairs and paving.

  • Simpson Brothers

    Boston, MA - 1910 earliest date
    These are the most common for regular city sidewalks. It can be found with or without the separate date plaque or with the date inside the plaque. At some point, they moved between Devonshire St. and Summer St. And they come in several sizes -- I just saw a smaller version embedded in a private walkway.

  • C.P. Toomey

    Melrose, MA
    Seen only twice: 1) on Lebanon near Emerson, and 2) on a Main Street staircase near the Stoneham border.

  • Velluto

    Melrose, MA
    Fairly rare - less than twenty plaques found so far and primarily private walkways.

  • Warren Brothers

    Boston, MA - 1909 earliest date
    I can't quite make out the term at the top of their plaque ("Kiolithic"?), but I figure it was the current type of pavement they were using since I found the following on the internet: "In 1900, Frederick J. Warren filed a patent for 'Bitulithic' pavement, a mixture of bitumen and aggregate ('bitu' from 'bitumen' and 'lithic' from 'lithos,' the Greek word for rock)." Interestingly, the first modern asphalt facility was built in 1901 by Warren Brothers in East Cambridge, Mass. They later became APAC (http://www.apac.com), one of the largest asphalt mix companies in the United States. Sometimes found with a separate date plaque. At the corner of Crystal & Main Street I found the oldest plaque so far - 1909!

  • F. O. White

    Cambridge, MA
    Very rare - only seen once on Myrtle Street near West Foster.

  • My Favorites

    My Mother was so enamored by the art of these plaques that she created the following picture for me that hangs in my entryway.