Mendota Road Bridge
Encyclopedia
Mendota Road Bridge is a stone arch bridge
that spans the outlet of Pickerel Lake where it meets the Mississippi River
just south of downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. It was built in 1894 by the city of St. Paul and was designed by the St. Paul City Engineer's Office.
The bridge is historically significant as an example of a small-scale 19th century stone arch highway bridge. The stone used in the bridge is locally-quarried gray limestone
. Ornamentation on the bridge includes protruding keystone
s at the top of the arch, a slight peak at the top of the arch, and a string course that matches the roadway level. The bridge resembles other stone arch bridges built in Minnesota townships during the late 19th century and early 20th century, but the ornamentation sets it apart. Another facet of historical importance is the fact that the bridge has never been substantially altered during its lifetime, except for a concrete cap replacing the original coping
at the top of the railings. The bridge has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places
(#89001825) due to its historical integrity.
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
that spans the outlet of Pickerel Lake where it meets the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
just south of downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. It was built in 1894 by the city of St. Paul and was designed by the St. Paul City Engineer's Office.
The bridge is historically significant as an example of a small-scale 19th century stone arch highway bridge. The stone used in the bridge is locally-quarried gray limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. Ornamentation on the bridge includes protruding keystone
Keystone (architecture)
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight. This makes a keystone very important structurally...
s at the top of the arch, a slight peak at the top of the arch, and a string course that matches the roadway level. The bridge resembles other stone arch bridges built in Minnesota townships during the late 19th century and early 20th century, but the ornamentation sets it apart. Another facet of historical importance is the fact that the bridge has never been substantially altered during its lifetime, except for a concrete cap replacing the original coping
Coping (architecture)
Coping , consists of the capping or covering of a wall.A splayed or wedge coping slopes in a single direction; a saddle coping slopes to either side of a central high point....
at the top of the railings. The bridge has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(#89001825) due to its historical integrity.