The “Brick Hill” at the north end of Spring Street in Elgin was once “Grant Avenue”, running from the Fox River to Prospect. In the 1900’s the streets from Slade Avenue east were renamed into one common street name, River Bluff Road. Grant Avenue became an extension of Spring Street. As the only surviving exposed brick street in Elgin, this hidden gem of the north east neighborhood connects our neighborhood  to the Fox River Bike trail. Scenic and steep, this corridor is widely used by many of the residents. In the winter, once the snow has fallen, it has been a favorite of many generations of sledders. Well lit with street lights, its well-worn brick has a great old feel of historic Elgin’s past. NENA is currently collecting bricks, as about 2500 pieces are estimated for repairs. Our plan is to identify a brick layer for consultation and to perform repairs. Once restored to proper historic condition, we hope to have the brick hill designated a city park, once again under the maintenance control of the City of Elgin and to work with Elgins’ Historic Preservation Planner to have the brick hill designated as a historic landmark. For more information, contact us at info@nenaofelgin.org.

Stay tuned for an update to this section.