George Bartholomew (inventor)

George Wells Bartholomew Jr. (August 24, 1848 – March 1, 1933) was an American inventor who is credited with the invention of concrete pavement.

George Bartholomew
A statue of Bartholomew erected in Bellefontaine, Ohio, in 1991
Born	August 24, 1848 Bristol, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	March 1, 1933 (age 84) St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Inventor, manufacturer

Early life and education

Bartholomew was born in Bristol, Connecticut, the son of George W. Bartholomew Sr. and Angeline Ives Bartholomew. His father was a clock manufacturer.^[1] He learned about cement production in Germany and San Antonio, Texas.^[2]

Career

Bartholomew owned a hardware store in Austin, Texas.^[3] In 1886, Bartholomew moved to Bellefontaine, Ohio, after having learned about cement production. Bartholomew found a good source of limestone and clay in the area; from this, he hoped to create an artificial stone for paving. Bartholomew founded the Buckeye Portland Cement Company and set about developing a new cement for pavement.^[2] His company created a town, Marl City, Ohio, now deserted.^[1]

In 1891, the Bellefontaine city council approved the use of Bartholomew's invention for paving a test strip on Main Street outside the Logan County courthouse. This experiment proved successful, and the council approved the pavement of Court Avenue.^[4][5]

Monument to the first Portland cement street ever, Bellefontaine, Ohio.

Bartholomew was honored for his invention at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois in 1893. His award was titled, "First Place for Engineering Technology Advancement in Paving Materials." This award lent credibility to Bartholomew's technique, and it was quickly adopted throughout the United States and internationally.^[2][6]

Bartholomew moved to Colorado by 1910,^[7] where he worked for Colorado Portland Cement Company.^[1]

Personal life and legacy

Barstow married Hettie Julia Cole before 1880. They had sons Linn, Tracy, and Richard, and daughter Grace and Lucy.^[8] His eldest son, Linn, died in Puerto Rico in 1918.^[9] Barstow died in 1933, in St. Petersburg, Florida, at the age of 84.^[10]

In Bellefontaine, a section of Court Avenue remains paved today with Bartholomew's formula, celebrated as the first concrete paved street in America.^[5] The street section was restored in 1962.^[11] In 1991, the city of Bellefontaine hosted a centennial celebration for Bartholomew's successful street paving.^[12] They erected a statue of Bartholomew and held a parade; Bartholomew's grandson George A. Bartholomew gave a speech to dedicate the statue.^[13]