Stone Bridge (Johnstown, Pennsylvania)
Encyclopedia
The Stone Bridge spans the Conemaugh River
Conemaugh River
The Conemaugh River is a long tributary of the Kiskiminetas River in Westmoreland, Indiana, and Cambria counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.- Course :...

 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...

. The bridge is a seven-arch stone railroad bridge located on the Norfolk Southern mainline, built by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

 in 1887-88. Its upstream face was reinforced with concrete in 1929. This bridge survived the Johnstown Flood
Johnstown Flood
The Johnstown Flood occurred on May 31, 1889. It was the result of the catastrophic failure of the South Fork Dam situated upstream of the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA, made worse by several days of extremely heavy rainfall...

of 1889, but the bridge blocked debris, which subsequently caught fire and created an inferno covering 30 acres (121,405.8 m²). The bridge is visible from Point Park in downtown Johnstown.

The Stone Bridge Project

The Stone Bridge, located on the edge of Johnstown’s downtown, is an arched bridge built by the
Pennsylvania Railroad in 1887. On May 31, 1889, its seven arches blocked tons of debris carried by
the waters of the Johnstown Flood, but the bridge itself withstood the flood’s impact. An
enormous fire broke out at the bridge, killing scores of people trapped in the flood debris. The fire
would burn for three days.

Today, the bridge is a Johnstown landmark, and is still an active railroad bridge with three tracks.
Owned by Norfolk Southern Railroad, the bridge is located along Route 56, the most heavily-traveled
road in the region. It is highly visible from Route 56, downtown, JAHA’s newly-established Festival
Park, and the restaurant and visitors center above the city at the Inclined Plane. However, the bridge
is in need of restoration; the stone façade has long since been covered with concrete when an
additional track was added to the bridge, and the bridge’s general appearance is poor.

A committee of community leaders is leading an effort to restore the stone bridge, including cleaning
for physical and aesthetic improvements. The concrete on the southern side of the bridge will be
resurfaced. The bridge will also be lit using energy-efficient LED lighting that can be adjusted to
different colors and intensities. The project has been estimated at $1.2 million, and is being
announced as part of 2008 flood commemorative activities.

"The significance of the Stone Bridge is that it stood its ground against the flood waters and altered
the future of Johnstown completely and forever. It created the backdrop for the event that put
Johnstown on the map,” said Michael Brosig, co-chair of the Stone Bridge Committee. “Restoring the
South facade of that structure and casting LED lighting on it will certainly showcase the triumph of the
human spirit in a spectacular style for all to see, enjoy and be proud of their heritage. Based on its
strategic location, it is the lynchpin of the historic district of our city."

Consultants on the bridge restoration project include Shadowstone Inc. of Clifton, N.J., for the
lighting. Shadowstone has been involved in a variety of high-profile lighting projects, including such
Washington, D.C. projects as the White House and Pentagon briefing rooms; the U.S. Open Tennis
Tournament; a special event at the Brooklyn Bridge; and many others. For the bridge restoration and
rehabilitation, the group is working with Pawlowski & Haman Architects, P.C. and H.F. Lenz Co., both
of Johnstown.

External links

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