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Goose Creek Bridge

Description 

Built in 1802 during the Presidency of Thomas Jefferson, this bridge is one of the last four arch stone bridges in Virginia, and was the scene of a cavalry and artillery duel on June 21, 1863, at the beginning of the Gettysburg Campaign

Abandoned by the highway department in 1957, the Fauquier and Loudoun Garden Club took on the bridge's maintenance and preservation in perpetuity in 1976."

This bridge carried vehicular traffic until 1957.

From: A SURVEY OF MASONRY AND CONCRETE ARCH BRIDGES IN VIRGINIA http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/00-r...

"The largest surviving masonry turnpike bridge in Virginia is the 200-foot, four-span Ashby’s Gap Turnpike bridge, completed before 1820 and crossing Goose Creek near Atoka (Figure 12). When Rt. 50 was realigned in the mid-20th century, the bridge was taken off system. It is now administered by the Fauquier and Loudoun Garden Club."

Facts 

Overview
Stone arch bridge over Goose Creek on Old US 50/Ashby Gap Turnpike
Location
Loudoun County, Virginia
Status
Open to pedestrians
History
Built 1802, was centered in the Battle of Upperville in 1863, Closed 1957
Design
Stone arch
Dimensions
Total length: 235.0 ft.
Recognition
Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on October 9, 1974
Also called
Ashby's Gap Turnpike bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude
+38.98160, -77.81891   (decimal degrees)
38°58'54" N, 77°49'08" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
18/255821/4318515 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Rectortown
Inventory numbers
NRHP 74002134 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
BH 50429 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

19th Century (9,802)
Arch (12,942)
Built 1802 (2)
Built during 1800s (36)
Deck arch (12,153)
Loudoun County, Virginia (23)
NR-listed (3,028)
Open to pedestrians (4,715)
Stone arch (3,408)
Total length 175-250 feet (4,714)
Virginia (1,446)

Update Log 

  • December 5, 2011: Updated by J.P.: added Civil war category/description

Sources 

  • J.P. - wildcatjon2000 [at] gmail [dot] com