Fink Through Truss Bridge

Photos 

View Looking Southeast, 3/4 Elevation Photocopy Of Historic Photograph, Office Of Hunterdon County Engineer, Flemington, Nj, Ca. 1940-50. Photographer Unknown

Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record

View photos at Library of Congress

BH Photo #137422

Map 

details 

This is/was the oldest metal bridge in the USA.

It is said that Hunterdon County kept all the parts in a warehouse, waiting for someday when the end post can be recast for an affordable price.

The Hamden Road Fink truss was an all iron bridge.

Facts 

Overview

Lost wrought iron through truss over South Branch Raritan River on CR 2 (Hamden Rd) in Hamden

Location

Hunterdon County, New Jersey

Status

Destroyed by vehicle collision in 1978

History

Built 1858

Builder

- Trenton Locomotive & Machine Works of Trenton, New Jersey (Fabricator)

Design

Fink through truss

Dimensions

Span length: 100.0 ft.
Total length: 100.0 ft.

Approximate latitude, longitude

+40.60389, -74.90239   (decimal degrees)
40°36'14" N, 74°54'09" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")

Approximate UTM coordinates

18/508258/4494791 (zone/easting/northing)

Quadrangle map:

Pittstown

Inventory numbers

NRHP 74001161 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
BH 42367 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Update Log 

• February 19, 2020: New photos from Melissa Brand-Welch
• August 15, 2012: Essay added by Andrew Pearce
• April 19, 2009: Added by James Baughn

Sources 

• HAER NJ-18 - Fink Through-Truss Bridge, Hunterdon County Government Complex (moved to), Flemington vicinity, Hunterdon County, NJ
• James Baughn - webmaster [at] bridgehunter [dot] com
• Melissa Brand-Welch - melissabrandwelch [at] msn [dot] com

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