Broadway and Main - The Kiosk at the Old T

A stop on Redwood City History Walk, a free self-guided tour.

This corner was the center of the old town. The creek landing was close by, and for decades Broadway did not continue past here: it ended at Main Street in a T, and a hotel stood at the top of the T, facing straight down Broadway.

That first hotel, the American Hotel, burned in 1864. The three-story American House replaced it and ran until 1878. Another building held the spot until 1931, when Broadway was finally pushed through and the T disappeared.

Today the corner is home to the Path of History kiosk, which stocks the city's free brochure and map for a self-guided loop of a dozen historical points. Many of the plaques you have seen on this walk belong to it, and the rest of the route continues on Main Street. Grab a brochure if one is there, and look across the corner to imagine a hotel blocking the view where Broadway now runs on.

Getting here: Continue a few steps east to the corner of Broadway and Main Street.

Did you know?: Redwood City incorporated on May 11, 1867, the first city in San Mateo County to do so.

Photo op: Stand on the corner and shoot east along Broadway through the spot where the old hotel once closed off the street.

More on Wikipedia: Redwood City, California

Broadway and Main - The Kiosk at the Old T

Stops on this tour