BO - Harmar Bridge
Videos
 |
Hamar Bridge Time-lapse video of bridge being opened July 26, 2015, shot by Dave Boley Dave Boley via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/www.HarmarVillageMariettaOhio ) |
Hamar Bridge Time-lapse of bridge opening July 26, 2015 by John J. Burgardt John J. Burgardt via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/john.j.burgardt/videos/vb.1072357772/10205752108936600/?type=2&theater ) |
Description
https://www.saveharmarbridge.com☞ 1856 - est. 1st as a covered bridge for pedestrian & wagon traffic [some sources state 1857] ☞ 1873 - transformed into railroad bridge for M&C RR [1860's by some] ☞ 1884 - flood destroys it - rebuilt w/swing span allowing larger vessels to pass through ☞ March 1913 - destroyed by our worst flood - a crest at 58.7 feet. "The flood swept 120 homes away [and] knocked 200 homes off their foundations" Note: every bridge on the Muskingum River was either destroyed or severely damaged by that flood. ☞ 1967 - B & O RR last train crosses the bridge ☞ 1988 - Historical Harmar Bridge Company purchases bridge for $10. ☞ Sunday, March 1, 2020 - closed 4 needed rehab. ☞ Bridge span opened by hand: * 2x yearly during Harmar Days Festival * When high water or floods limit the passage of the Valley Gem * When the W. P. Snyder leaves the Muskingum River for needed repairs or work
Facts
- Overview
- Pratt through truss bridge with manual swing draw span over Muskingum River on Railroad now pedestrian only
- Location
- Marietta, Washington County, Ohio
- Status
- Closed to all traffic.
- History
- Built 1913; purchased from B&O for $10 and converted to pedestrian use 1967; Rehabbed in 2007
- Railroad
- - Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (BO)
- Design
- East to west:
Timber trestle approach over pedestrian walkway
Pin-connected, 8-panel Pratt through truss swing span
(2)7-panel, pin-connected Pratt through truss
Riveted, 6-panel Warren through truss with all verticals
Timber trestle approach over Fort Street - Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 167.0 ft.
Total length: 800.0 ft.
- Also called
- Harmar Rail-Trail - Muskigum River Bridge
Harmar Bridge - Approximate latitude, longitude
- +39.41183, -81.45714 (decimal degrees)
39°24'43" N, 81°27'26" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 17/460646/4362578 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Marietta
- Inventory number
- BH 50349 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- August 7, 2022: Updated by Paul Plassman: Added categories "7-panel truss", "8-panel truss", "Navigable waterway", "Stone piers", "Center Pivot Swing Span"
- May 21, 2022: New photo from Paul Plassman
- February 10, 2022: New photos from Bambi Sharkoman
- December 31, 2021: Updated by Alexander D. Mitchell IV: added history from local website/Facebook page
- May 28, 2020: New photos from David Case
- December 22, 2019: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
- November 21, 2016: Updated by Christopher Finigan: Added category "Pin-connected"
- November 20, 2016: New Street View added by Dana and Kay Klein
- July 27, 2015: New video from Alexander D. Mitchell IV
- June 24, 2014: Updated by Luke Harden: Added info
- November 29, 2011: Updated by Clark Vance: Location and street view
- November 28, 2011: Added by John Goold
Related Bridges
- BO - Harmar Bridge (Pre 1913) (Predecessor)
Sources
- John Goold - BlueWilliamus [at] yahoo [dot] com
- Clark Vance - cvance [at] dogmail [dot] com
- Douglas Butler
- Luke
- Picture of bridge in Marietta description - Article about beautiful towns in Ohio
- Alexander D. Mitchell IV
- Dana and Kay Klein
- Geoff Hubbs
- David Case
- Jesse Sharkoman Berube - jesseberube5 [at] gmail [dot] com
- Paul Plassman
- Putnam St Bridge Replacement Across the Muskingum River, City of Marietta ... - Google Books - Pages 5-9
Comments
Is this bridge older than 1913? The two center spans appear to be older, maybe ca. 1895? The swing span also appears to be a little newer, but not 1913. Reportedly, the stationary spans were replaced after the 1913 flood, but the swing span survived. The stationary spans very well could have been moved from another location.
Swing span is swung to prevent people from crossing the bridge. Fundraising effort is underway.
Interesting article on a group's fundraising efforts to restore this bridge:
http://www.mariettatimes.com/page/content.detail/id/569973/A...
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/oh/washington/harmar-railroad/
To respond to John's old comment here, I STRONGLY agree that the bridge's truss spans, particularly the swing span with no "tower" at the center is most certainly older than 1913. The swing span, which lacks the "tower" at the center is reminiscent of extremely old swing trusses (1880s) although I have not yet visited this bridge (its on my list to visit) to try to confirm this, and current photos on the Internet do not provide the level of detail required. Evaluation of connection details, any iron/steel brands, etc would be potentially useful to try to date the spans. Given the scale of destruction that the 1913 flood caused it is not surprising at all that an old truss might have been moved here. There wouldn't have been enough fabricators in the world to replace all the bridges that were lost in that flood in the timeframe that everyone wanted their bridges fixed after that disaster, so creative solutions to reopen infrastructure were no doubt used.