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The HistoricBridges.org Team: Nathan Holth - Author, Webmaster, and Photographer. Rick McOmber - Photographer and Content Advisor. Luke Gordon - Engineering / Construction Consultant and Photographer. |
HistoricBridges.org offers
professional photo-documentation, information, and advocacy for
all types of historic bridges except covered bridges. North
American coverage radiates outward from Michigan, with
Pennsylvania, Chicago, and Ontario being coverage highlights as
well. HistoricBridges.org places an unparalleled priority on comprehensive and detail-oriented photo-documentation of each bridge presented. In addition, HistoricBridges.org strongly advocates for the reform of surface
transportation policy and fights to increase awareness of the
feasibility of historic bridge preservation. HistoricBridges.org is guided by the philosophy that placing a greater funding focus on the maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation of existing bridges, whether historic or not, is the
the best solution for a country's aging and deteriorating bridges.
Click Here For The Latest Website Update (4-25-13). |
HistoricBridges.org Features
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Featuring historic bridge photo-documentation and information, the Bridge Browser is the main feature on this website. The map shown here is an interactive clickable map that allows you to access the bridges on this website. Places listed in blue text have bridges available. BridgeSeek, an advanced search tool, is also available. Also, a standalone version of the Bridge Browser is available. |
Bridge Spotlight:Approximate Time Remaining Until All United States Historic Metal Truss Bridges Not Preserved Are Demolished:Port Huron Pere Marquette Railroad Bridge
Located in Port Huron, Michigan, this 1931 through truss bascule bridge is one of only three bascule bridges in Michigan using a design patented in 1921 by Hugo Abt for the American Bridge Company. Including this bridge, only six examples of this type are known to remain nationwide today, making the design exceedingly rare. Additionally, the Port Huron bridge appears to have the longest span of this type. The Abt bascule bridge has two unusual features: its counterweight that moves opposite to the direction of the span as it is lowered or raised and the motor that drives the bridge while riding up and down on an inclined track. It is historically and technologically significant as a rare example of an unusual patented bridge design. Locally, the bridge is a recognizable landmark and a remnant of a railroad line that once ran north and south from the bridge. Nobody appears to have sought to list the bridge in the National Register of Historic Places, but, it appears to be eligible for listing for its engineering significance. Today abandoned in its original position, the bridge is owned by the Port Huron Yacht Club who recently purchased the land and the bridge. The Yacht Club is seeking to demolish this historic bridge. The Yacht Club has not outlined plans for using the land around the bridge, nor indicated if the bridge is in the way of anything. They have claimed the bridge is a liability. Concerns with liability could be addressed with an improved fence and "No Trespassing" signs. Demolishing the bridge is shortsighted and deprives Port Huron of an important historic landmark. Click here to visit the page for the Port Huron Pere Marquette Railroad Bridge |
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Informative presentations designed to introduce viewers to the world of historic bridges. Utilizing photos and diagrams, the various terminology, construction, and configuration of historic bridges is discussed. A presentation on inspecting historic bridges is also available. This page also features some formal, yet easy-to-read, essays that further explore the historic bridge world. |
Historic Bridges Encyclopedia
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This feature contains articles relating
to historic bridges, as well as information about entire categories
of historic bridges. This section also includes some non-bridge
related photos. Some of the major features include: - An all-in-one collection of some of the best bridge photos available in wallpaper size. - A look at historic metal water towers, which share a lot of design characteristics with truss bridges. - A collection of interesting photos of the natural world. - An in-depth look at curved chord through girder bridges. |
Historic Bridge Park: A Visitor's Guide
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A comprehensive visitor's guide to this unique park located in Calhoun County, Michigan whose focus is the restored metal truss bridges within the park. Contains maps, photos, and links to bridge browser pages for the historic bridges within the park. |
HistoricBridges.org Prints Store
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The Prints Store is where you can purchase quality prints of selected photos from HistoricBridges.org taken by Nathan Holth. Photos are organized into folders by state/province. Don't see the bridge and/or photo you would like a print of? Contact us and let us know what photo you would like and we will upload it to the store so you can purchase your prints. |
Turning the Tide
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Your help is needed! Help an important piece of historic bridge legislation revised and passed in 2007 to increase historic bridge preservation: A guide to write letters to U.S. government officials and legislators. These proposed changes did not pass in 2006 because the government felt that not enough citizens had spoken up in favor of historic bridges. Help change that! |
Historic Bridge Newsroom: Twitter
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Presented through the convenient format of Twitter, the Historic Bridge Newsroom is a simple collection of links to current news articles about historic bridges, as well as word-of-mouth news snippets. Coverage includes any historic bridges in the United States and Canada, which may or may not be in the Bridge Browser. This is a human-edited list of links; therefore coverage may be biased to the areas that those team members who maintain it are familiar with. |
Links to Related Websites
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Features a collection of external links to other bridge websites on the Internet. Many other bridge enthusiast websites feature bridges from areas not covered by this website, and links to those websites can be found here. |
News and Updates
Chicago's Bridges Book Now Available!
By Nathan Holth, author of HistoricBridges.org, this book provides a discussion of the history of Chicago's movable bridges, and includes a virtual tour discussing all movable bridges remaining in Chicago today. The book includes dozens of full color photos.
Only $9.95 U.S.! Available Now Direct From The Publisher!
5th Annual Historic Bridge WeekendThe 5th Annual Historic Bridge Weekend will be held in Iowa and organized by The BridgeHunter's Chronicles this year from August 9th through the 11th. |
Website UpdatesApril 25, 2013 - Golden Gate and Oakland Bay Bridge UpdatesThe first in a series of updates that will expand HistoricBridges.org to cover a portion of California, this update adds HistoricBridges.org photo-documentation to pre-existing pages for the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge. Prior to this update, the only photos available were a Public Photograph Compilation. The new photo galleries now include full photo-documentation in the traditional HistoricBridges.org format, as well as high resolution video, and GoPro camera still photos showing the experience of driving over the bridges. Tweaks to the narratives were also made, and historical photos and articles were added. February 15, 2013 - Large Update: Indiana and BeyondThis update adds a bunch of bridges including adding 27 new counties to the website. Most of the bridges and new counties are in Indiana, but a number are for other states as well. View The Latest Additions To The WebsiteFebruary 12, 2013 - Michigan, Indiana and New YorkThis update adds and updates 45 bridges for Michigan, Indiana, and New York. January 23, 2013 - ChicagolandThis update adds bridges for the Chicagoland area. It also adds photos and updates a few existing bridge pages elsewhere. January 4, 2013 - Ontario, Pennsylvania, New York and OhioThis large update adds bridges in Ontario, Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio. November 30, 2012 - Large Michigan and New York UpdateThis large update completes the additions from the October 2012 U.P. Michigan documentation project. HistoricBridges.org now has good coverage of the U.P. where as before, coverage was poor and very incomplete. As a bonus, this update also introduces several western New York State bridges. |
