(
Archived Bridge Hunter;
Historic Bridges;
B&T,
Blog;
HAER;
Satellite)
Fayette Station Bridge was the first bridge to cross the New River in Fayette County, West Virginia. The bridge was a result of the road building process when it was a local issue instead of the jurisdiction of the state and federal levels of government. The bridge eliminated the necessity for travelers to cross the dangerous New River in the gorge. [
HAER-data]
 |
Erik Nordberg posted
"Built in 1889, the Tunney Hunsaker Bridge [West Virginia] was the first bridge across the New River in the New River Gorge. The span was built to connect the mining towns of Fayette and South Fayette." [The article provides a length figure of 420' (128m) with a main span of 278' (84m).] |
In 1997 they essentially built a replica of the old bridge that incorporated just a few of the old members. They used the original construction techniques of V-laced members and pin connections, but they used bolts instead of rivets. It is interesting how "weird" the bolts make the bridge look. I would have thought they were a small enough detail that it wouldn't be obvious, but they do tend to stick out like a sore thumb.
 |
Zachary Syner posted
Family poses on Fayette Station Bridge in the early 1900s. Originally, before the construction of the New River Gorge Bridge in 1977, Fayette Station Road was the only way to cross the gorge. The road is a narrow, winding route that descends into the gorge, crossing the New River via a low lying bridge and then climbs up the other side. This road was essential for transporting goods, workers, and coal through the steep and rugged terrain, you can notice in this picture the horse buggy traffic that passed through here. |
 |
Zachary Syner commented on his post
Name template of the original 1889 bridge. |
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
posted four photos with the comment:
The communities of Fayette and South Fayette were established after the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad arrived in 1873 and merged into Fayette Station to coincide with the C&O Train Station located there. The two communities were connected by a ferry across the river until the small bridge was completed in 1889.
Your only options to reach Fayetteville in those years were walking up the mountain or riding along a wagon trail.
Traffic between Fayetteville and Fayette Station began to outgrow the small road, and the Fayetteville Business Men’s Association proposed building a new road to connect the two communities. The efforts of the Men’s Association presented a strong case, and “the county courts succeeded in getting an order for the immediate construction of this new road with convict labor at the disposal of the authorities.”
A Fayette Tribune newspaper from 1911 states that “all during the current year, the misdemeanor convicts available for work have been utilized in the construction of this new roadway… and the people of Fayette County are assured early completion of one of the best stretches of road in the entire state.” The same article claimed the road would be completed in the Spring of 1911. It also boasted that with the new road “the difficulties of reaching town with freights and passengers will have been surmounted.” This road was the main route across the northern New River Gorge until the construction of the New River Gorge Bridge was completed in 1977.
Fayette Station was home to a small coal mining operation known as the Fayette Coal and Coke Company. Other businesses included saloons, the three-story Blume Store, and a garage for residents to park their cars while traveling by train. Residents of other nearby communities without their own train station would walk to Fayette Station to catch a train. The coal lease here changed hands multiple times, and mining continued along Fayette Station Road even into the mid 1970s.
While early drivers travelled along a two-way macadam road, modern visitors travel along a paved one-way drive. The National Park Service has also created a free audio tour for visitors wanting to navigate this scenic route.
 |
| 1 |
 |
| 2 |
 |
| 3 |
 |
| 4 |
This map shows Fayett, South Fayette and Fayetteville. It also shows show the road gradually cut across the contour lines on the sides of the canyon.
 |
| 1969/72 Fayetteville Quad @ 24,000 |
No comments:
Post a Comment