Brick and cobblestone medallion on Westminster Street, in Providence. (GoLocalProv.com)

Providence Mayor Smiley has smudged a frown on the beauty of downtown. He has demolished the decorative brick and stonework at the intersection of Westminster and Dorrance streets. This is the intersection, part of former Mayor Paolino’s excellent redesign of the old “Westminster Mall” as a street in the 1980s, and popularized by network television coverage of the city’s “dancing cop,” Tony Lepore, who used to mix traffic control with dance to entertain pedestrians (and frustrate drivers) at that intersection.

Now that huge brick and stone medallion is gone, torn up, and will soon be replaced with asphalt blacktop. Voters should replace Smiley (if that is his real name) at the next opportunity if this error is not corrected.

“The City,” explained his spokeman Josh Estrella, “is not replacing the center medallion because it was determined that they get damaged too significantly by the bus traffic on Dorrance.” If that is the case, RIPTA should have a budget line item devoted to fixing the damage it causes – and not with asphalt. The fate of the other five medallions along Westminster is uncertain.

But, as noted by the anonymous reporter for GoLocalProv.com, “Over the years, the stone work was repeatedly torn up by utility companies and not properly restored.” If that is the case (and we know that it is), there ought to be a law mandating that utilities return streets to the condition they found when they started the necessary utility work. If indeed there is not already such a law – as there should be – honored in the breach, as they say.

GoLocal’s meticulous coverage of this important news story includes mention of a report featuring eight American cities that still have cobblestone streets.

Providence, Rhode Island, is a hidden gem for cobblestone enthusiasts. Wander through the city’s historic districts and discover cobblestone streets that wind through scenic neighborhoods. One such area is Benefit Street, known as the “Mile of History,” where you can admire beautifully preserved 18th- and 19th-century homes. Providence’s cobblestone streets are not only beautiful but also provide a glimpse into the city’s rich heritage.

As is conventional with such stories, the facts are exaggerated. Most of the few cobblestone streets in Providence are of recent vintage and other genuinely elderly stretches of cobblestone show through where asphalt has crumbled away over time. Either way, they are difficult to find, so when one of the best examples of newly laid cobblestone is purposely eliminated by the city, it is time to turn on the bullshit detector.

Yes, the city has scores of line items every year in its budget that could be zeroed out to cover the repair the downtown medallions on Westminster Street. Even if journalists eager to gild Providence’s lily exaggerate its remaining cobblestones, wasted money in the budget should go to save those medallions at risk.

GoLocal cites the firm Gavin Historical Bricks, in Iowa City, Iowa, on the utility underlying the beauty of cobblestones:

Cobblestones have disappeared from many streets. They played an important role in cities throughout New England. With the strength of cobblestone, no ruts developed in the streets. The surface remained flexible, so it wouldn’t crack during freezes. The stones also wouldn’t easily crack due to any normal movement on the road. Cobblestones prevented a road from getting muddy when it rained or from getting dusty in dry weather.

Maybe we should return to historic brick for street pavement. Toay manufacturere could probably replicate cobblestones that, aside from their beauty, might contribute to traffic calming – a practice that up until now has been performed with supreme ineptitude, what with the growth of speed bumps. Bad idea. Why not try cobblestones modified to be less bumpy but to promote more thrift with the gas pedal?

Historic character is the city’s most valuable trait, and its most delicate. We are losing it faster than we know. When we commit crimes against that trait, as Mayor Smiley has done, the entire city and all of its citizen are made the poorer by it. Wise up, Mayor!