Lumberville-Raven Rock Pedestrian Bridge
Photos
Lumberville-Raven Rock Suspension Bridge 10/25/09
Upriver overview
Photo taken by Raymond Klein
BH Photo #148421
Facts
- Overview
- Suspension bridge over the Delaware River on a pedestrian walkway
- Location
- Raven Rock, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and Hunterdon County, New Jersey
- Status
- Open to pedestrians
- History
- Built 1947 by John A. Roebling's Sons Co.
- Builders
- - Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
- John A. Roebling's Sons Co. of Roebling, New Jersey
- Dimensions
-
Total length: 688.0 ft.
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +40.40791, -75.03721 (decimal degrees)
40°24'28" N, 75°02'14" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 18/496843/4473033 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Lumberville
- Inventory number
- BH 43575 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- June 28, 2022: New photos from Patrick Gurwell
- June 20, 2022: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
- August 30, 2019: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
- August 26, 2014: New photos from Patrick S. O'Donnell
- November 10, 2013: Updated by Luke Harden: Added category "Park"
- November 9, 2013: Updated by Luke Harden: Added category "Wire/cable Suspension"
- July 5, 2013: New Street View added by Dave King
- January 3, 2010: New photos from Raymond Klein
- November 2, 2009: Added by Raymond Klein
Related Bridges
- Lumberville-Raven Rock Covered Bridge (Predecessor)
Sources
- Raymond Klein - Bookshelfthe [at] msn [dot] com
- Dave King - DKinghawkfan [at] hotmail [dot] com
- Patrick S. O'Donnell - 1 [dot] 991km [at] comcast [dot] net
- Geoff Hubbs
- Patrick Gurwell - pgurwell [at] gmail [dot] com
Comments
Good eye. This current bridge uses the original substructure, piers* and abutments of the covered bridge which opened in 1856.
According to Frank T. Dale's "Bridges over the Delaware River" this bridge's substructure previously carried motor vehicles across the Delaware River. Lumberville had saw mills and other businesses over the years.
Dale notes that the Joint Commission (formed by NY & PA) was rebuilding one of the piers* in 1942 and discovered the entire superstructure (except a recent steel addition added in 1903) had rotted beyond repair. So in 1944 they closed the bridge. This was during war times and steel was limited which delayed any rebuilding.
The Joint Commission decided the crossing wasn't necessary for vehicles and in 1947 they hired John A. Roebling & Sons to replace the old bridge with a modern one designed for pedestrians only. Today it is primarily used for folks going to the recreational island, Bulls Island State Park.
There was previously a covered bridge here:
http://www.delawareandlehigh.org/talesofthetowpath/delaware-...
One span replaced after flooding:
http://www.soleburyhistory.org/oldpostcards.html
Closed in 1946, replaced 1947.
What was this thing to start with? The footings and piers look far too substantial for a footbridge. They also look far older than 1949.
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/pa/bucks/bh43575/
A nice story that happened on a nice bridge. These two couples had been double-dating for a while, and decided they wanted to marry in a joint ceremony. But one couple wanted to wed in New Jersey and the other in Pennsylvania.
This bridge was the solution. Each couple got married in the state they wanted, and it was indeed a joint ceremony, straddling the state line in the middle of the bridge.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/15/style/parent-kuntz-mcnitt...