Station Road Bridge West

Information and Findings From New Jersey's Historic Bridge Inventory

 Summary

The well-preserved pin-connected Pratt pony truss sits on one field stone abutment and one concrete abutment. The slightly skewed bridge is composed of built-up rolled section members, batten plates and lacing bars. Eyebars form the bottom chords and the diagonals. The plaque of Havana Bridge Works and uncommon open-face finials are fixed to the top chord. The span ranks as one of the oldest and most complete pony trusses in the county. It is also significant due to its documented fabricator.

Setting/Context

The bridge is located in a wooded, sparsely developed area, near the junction of a state route and a local road. The bridge carries the onelane local road over a river. Another pony truss bridge is located 100' to the south. The Havana Bridge Works was in business from 1896 and was an outgrowth of W. H. Shepard's Sons Bridge Company and the predecessor of Rochester Bridge and Construction Company. Havana Bridge Works was located in Montour Falls, New York, which was once Havana, NY.

Physical Description

The 6-panel pin-connected Pratt pony truss bridge stands in a remarkable state of preservation, complete with its mid-top chord bridge plaques. The top chord and inclined end posts are composed of toe-out angles with top cover plated and batten stiffeners. The verticals are angle section set back-to-back with a lattice web. The diagonals, counters, and bottom chords are eye bars. The verticals are attached to the upper chord by an L-shaped strap through which the pin passes. The detail is not unusual or a patented feature. The most distinctive detail is the open-face ball finial set at each of the top chord corners. They have not been identified on any other metal truss bridge in the state. The floor beams are rolled I section and are fitted with lateral bracing. Any original railings have been replaced by modern but compatible wood railings. Alterations to the bridge include in 1925 replacing the original west ashlar abutment with a concrete abutment and raising the west end of the truss by 18 inches; in 1935 strengthening and repairing the bridge with welded members including subdiagonals attached at the lower panel points by welded plates, outriggers, and repairs to the lower portions of the inclined end posts; and, in 1990 installing a gluelaminated wood deck. The alterations do not compromise the truss's integrity of design.

Historical and Technological Significance

The Pratt pin-connected pony truss bridge erected in 1896 by the Havana Bridge Works is a locally significant example of its type (Criterion C). It ranks as the best preserved metal truss bridge in the county, and in addition to representing the important structure type, the span chronicles the history of a small regional bridge fabricating firm whose history is not unlike other 19th-century fabricators who saw prosperity in manufacturing metal bridges and who distributed their products through a network of agents who worked with county freeholders. The Havana Bridge Company was established as W.H. Shepard's Sons Bridge Company in Havana, later Montour Falls, New York in 1891. It was reorganized and restyled the Havana Bridge Works in 1896, according to Victor Darnell, and it was the predecessor to the Rochester Bridge and Construction Company. The 1898 bridge plaque identifies Havana Bridge Works as being located in Elmira, New York, not in Montour Falls.

Boundary Description and Justification

Because the bridge is individually significant, it is the span alone (substructure including wingwalls and superstructure) that is evaluated as significant.

Sources

Darnell, Victor. Directory of American Bridge-Building Companies 1840-1900. 1984.

Bridge Considered Historic By Survey: Yes