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

Map Links

details

Written by Andrew Pearce

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)

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