The formal 100th anniversary celebration of portland cement paving in the U.S. took place October 12, 1991, in Bellefontaine, Ohio at the site of cement proprietor George W. Bartholomew's 1891 landmark experiment with concrete pavement. As it had in the 50th and subsequent anniversary gatherings, PCA took an active role in the centennial celebration festivities. Highlighting the 1991 program was the dedication of a life-sized statue of Bartholomew at the entrance to a recently closed downtown block of historic Court Avenue. Crafted from dry concrete mix and reinforced with stainless steel, the statue sits on portions of original Court Avenue pavement slabs that are set into a rectangular concrete Base. A bronze plate at the front of the base States: The paving of concrete streets in Bellefontaine, Ohio, during the 1890's resulted principally from one man's efforts, George Bartholomew. This statue was presented to the citizens of Logan County by the concrete industries of Ohio and the United States on October 12,1991, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1st concrete street in America. The statue was unveiled during a mid-afternoon ceremony led by Ohio Ready Mixed Concrete Association's Roger Jones, president, with state and local dignitaries, as well as George A. Bartholomew, grandson of George W., and his family on hand. The ceremony capped a town parade - a signature of previous anniversary celebrations - and set the stage for an evening banquet featuring a presentation from U.S. Representative David Hobson, a member of the House's Public Works and Transportation Committee. In the wake of the celebration, the city is converting the block of Court Avenue now fronted by the statue to a historic pedestrian mall. The block contains the only remaining original concrete pavement on the perimeter of Bellefontaine's Courthouse Square. The 1891 test section was cast along Main Street, while the paving of Court Avenue, Columbus Avenue, and Opera Street (and remaining portion of Main Street) commenced in 1893 and 1894. Miss Concrete Paving serves tradition with a bottle of bubbly during the 1963 rededication of Bellefontaine's Court Avenue. Court Avenue required little maintenance through the first half of this century. New joints were placed in advance of a 70th anniversary and rededication ceremony during the summer of 1962. Court Avenue's counterpart pavements along the Square also performed well into this century, but required full replacement during the 1950's after a water main break destroyed their subbases. In its new and novel capacity, the Courthouse Square-clock of Court Avenue is poised for the next 100 years, both as a cornerstone of paved roads in the U.S. and a milestone for the cement and concrete industries. It will remain a testament to the celebrated proclamation on a concrete monument placed on the opposite side of Courthouse Square in 1941 by the Bellefontaine Junior Chamber of Commerce: Here started the better roads movement which has given our citizens from coast to coast swift and sure transportation.