Rating:
3 votes

Lower Trenton Bridge (1806)

Mercer County, New Jersey, and Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Photos 

Trenton Bridge viewed from PA

Photo uploaded by Art S

View this photo at structuremag.org

BH Photo #351194

Map 

Description 

Very nice write-up here: http://www.structuremag.org/?p=1713

Facts 

Overview
Lost Tied Arch Covered Bridge over Delaware River
Location
Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey, and Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Status
Replaced by a new bridge
History
Built 1804-1806; widened and railroad tracks added 1839 (some info says 1835)
Builder
- Theodore Burr of Torrington, Connecticut (Aaron's cousin)
Railroad
- Philadelphia & Trenton Railroad (PT)
Design
Covered wooden tied arch with iron tension members
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 200.0 ft.
Total length: 1,100.0 ft.
Deck width: 36.0 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+40.21043, -74.76900   (decimal degrees)
40°12'38" N, 74°46'08" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
18/519657/4451139 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Trenton West
Inventory numbers
WGCB 30-11-05X / 38-09-48X (World Guide to Covered Bridges number)
BH 71685 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

19th Century (8,374)
Bucks County, Pennsylvania (266)
Built 1806 (3)
Built during 1800s (32)
Covered (1,953)
Lost (28,466)
Lost 1875 (11)
Lost during 1870s (77)
Mercer County, New Jersey (86)
New Jersey (1,693)
Pennsylvania (5,784)
 Philadelphia & Trenton Railroad (1)
Replaced by new bridge (19,358)
Span length 175-250 feet (2,058)
State line crossing (913)
Theodore Burr (6)
Through truss (16,775)
Tied arch (53)
Total length 1000-2500 feet (1,994)
Trenton, New Jersey (15)
Truss (35,451)

Update Log 

  • August 4, 2020: New photo from Art Suckewer
  • March 24, 2020: New photos from Art Suckewer
  • December 31, 2018: New photo from Art Suckewer
  • September 27, 2016: Updated by Tony Dillon: Added category "Tied Arch"
  • September 26, 2016: Updated by Dave King: Added length, span length, width & category "Philadelphia & Trenton Railroad"
  • April 3, 2016: Added by ArtS

Related Bridges 

Sources 

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Comments 

Trenton Bridge
Posted September 30, 2016, by Will Truax (Bridgewright [at] gmail [dot] com)

More background and speculation here >

https://bridgewright.wordpress.com/2011/12/21/long-lost-thou...

Trenton Bridge
Posted September 27, 2016, by Tony Dillon (spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com)

The early tied arch bridges were massive and indeed usually kinda odd looking. The lack of a straight upper chord led to some very creative ways to roof the structure. And from what I have read they were a nightmare to dismantle.

Trenton Bridge
Posted September 27, 2016, by Nathan Holth (webmaster [at] historicbridges [dot] org)

It was probably one of the earliest substantial use of iron in an American bridge... and most certainly an oddball bridge to be sure...

Trenton Bridge
Posted April 4, 2016, by ArtS (asuckewer [at] knite [dot] com)

So Nathan,

This one is a bit or a conundrum, it's a wood covered bridge but it has a unique design that is essentially a bowstring with wood compression and iron tension members. Is this the long lost missing link or is it an abomination? :^)

Regards,

Art S.