Avondale Estates has begun phase two of restoring the Carl’s Corner arch, once the city’s western gateway. A landscaping crew will work all week around the arch and sidewalk, though the sidewalk won’t be closed.
The hardest part of the restoration was in late 2014/early 2015 when the arch was re-fortified with new mortar. Bricks were re-sealed and in some places the structure was re-built altogether. Part of that was funded by a grant from the Historic Preservation Fund.
When the landscaping is completed, the third and final phase includes erecting an historic place-marker.
Build in 1926 the arch was named after Carl Houseworth, a local gardener and handyman who for years maintained the monument and property around it. At one point the gateway included both the arch and a brick post on the opposite site of U.S. 278. Today, Avondale’s city limits extend about a half-mile beyond Carl’s Corner.
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