Saugatuck River Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Saugatuck River Bridge is a bridge in Connecticut
carrying Route 136 over the Saugatuck River
in Westport
. The bridge, built in 1884, is the oldest surviving movable bridge in Connecticut and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. The total length of the bridge is 87.5 metres (287.1 ft) with a deck width of 6.1 metres (20 ft) and a minimum vertical clearance of 2.1 metres (6.9 ft) above the river. The bridge carries an average of about 16,000 vehicles per day. In 2007, the bridge was named the William F. Cribari Memorial Bridge.
of Buffalo, New York
, to build a wrought iron
bridge. Union Bridge Company was the only company to submit a bid for the job. The new bridge cost $26,700, not including $362 to remove the shipworm-infested remains of the 1869 wooden bridge. The bridge is the oldest surviving movable bridge in Connecticut. The movable bridge allows waterborne traffic to easily pass, which was crucial to the area's economy at the time. The bridge consists of a 144 feet (43.9 m) fixed approach span on the eastern side, and a hand-cranked movable span. Both spans are pin-connected Pratt through truss designs made of wrought iron.
The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP) on February 12, 1987. According to the 1986 NRHP nomination:
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
carrying Route 136 over the Saugatuck River
Saugatuck River
The Saugatuck River is a river in southwestern Connecticut in the United States. It drains part of suburban and rural Fairfield County west of Bridgeport, emptying into Long Island Sound.-Description:...
in Westport
Westport, Connecticut
-Neighborhoods:* Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices....
. The bridge, built in 1884, is the oldest surviving movable bridge in Connecticut and is listed on 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...
. The total length of the bridge is 87.5 metres (287.1 ft) with a deck width of 6.1 metres (20 ft) and a minimum vertical clearance of 2.1 metres (6.9 ft) above the river. The bridge carries an average of about 16,000 vehicles per day. In 2007, the bridge was named the William F. Cribari Memorial Bridge.
History
In 1746, a ferry was established to carry traffic over the Saugatuck River near Westport, and around 1807 it was replaced by the first bridge as part of the old Connecticut Turnpike. By 1857 the need to replace this bridge was apparent, and the town spent a total of $22,500 in 1869 to build a wooden bridge in its place. Within the ten years it took to pay that bridge off, shipworms had rendered it nearly impassable, and Westport had to build another bridge over the Saugatuck. Five years later, in 1884, the town contracted with Union Bridge CompanyUnion Bridge Company
The Union Bridge Company was a bridge fabricator and contractor with works in Buffalo, New York, and Athens, Pennsylvania. The Union Bridge company was formed in 1884 as a merger of several other bridge-building firms. Partners included George S. Field of Buffalo, Edumund Hayes of Buffalo,...
of Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, to build a wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
bridge. Union Bridge Company was the only company to submit a bid for the job. The new bridge cost $26,700, not including $362 to remove the shipworm-infested remains of the 1869 wooden bridge. The bridge is the oldest surviving movable bridge in Connecticut. The movable bridge allows waterborne traffic to easily pass, which was crucial to the area's economy at the time. The bridge consists of a 144 feet (43.9 m) fixed approach span on the eastern side, and a hand-cranked movable span. Both spans are pin-connected Pratt through truss designs made of wrought iron.
The bridge was listed on 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...
(NRHP) on February 12, 1987. According to the 1986 NRHP nomination:
Saugatuck River Bridge is significant on a national level as a rare surviving example from the first generation of movable iron bridges. ... The firm that built it, the Union Bridge CompanyUnion Bridge CompanyThe Union Bridge Company was a bridge fabricator and contractor with works in Buffalo, New York, and Athens, Pennsylvania. The Union Bridge company was formed in 1884 as a merger of several other bridge-building firms. Partners included George S. Field of Buffalo, Edumund Hayes of Buffalo,...
of Buffalo, New York, was a leading, if short-lived, pioneer in swing-bridge construction; its spans followed the designs of company president Charles KelloggCharles KelloggCharles Kellogg may refer to:* Charles Kellogg , U.S. Representative from New York* Charles Kellogg , vaudeville performer and campaigner for the protection of the giant sequoias...
and his son Charles H. Kellogg. The bridge is also significant in the history of WestportWestport, Connecticut-Neighborhoods:* Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices....
, because it illustrates the important role of maritime commerce (particularly the shipment of onions) in the town's economy during the 19th century..., a role of sufficient importance that the town took on the additional trouble and expense of erecting a bridge that would not limit water-borne traffic.
External links
- Saugatuck River Bridge, Spanning Saugatuck River at Route 136, Westport, Fairfield County, CT: 20 photos and 7 data pages, at Historic American Engineering Record