Today, I researched two bridges built by the King Iron Bridge and Manufacturing Company. This is one of them, and the Hale Bowstring Iron Bridge at Anamosa, IA is the other.
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| Street View, Sep 2016 |
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| Street View, Jul 2019 |
Christopher R Hernandez posted four photos with the comment: "ridge Street Bridge, Sparkill Creek, Piermont, NY. Built 1880 by King Iron Bridge Company of Cleveland. Hand cranked bridge."
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| Digitally Zoomed |
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| HsitoricBridges Nathan rates this bridge with two 10s. "This is the oldest known surviving bascule bridge in the United States and the only known example in the country of a simple archaic draw bridge design. As a movable bridge it is truly tiny, and would have only allowed very small boats to pass. The creek it is located on is also very small. Bridges of this design are more common in Europe. The bridge was hand-operated and simple counterweighted chains would wrap around the counterweight sheaves to pull the bascule leaf up. In this manner it resembles a medieval castle drawbridge. The bascule leaf and the approach span has riveted connections, making it an extremely early surviving rivet-connected truss bridge in the United States. The bridge has been bypassed and preserved in place for pedestrians. The bridge retains good historic integrity considering its age, although some rivets on the trusses have been replaced with bolts. The rivets that survive have a primitve appearance to them indicative of the early use of rivets. Because of its rarity and age it is one of the most unique and important historic bridges in the state. The bridge is worthy of consideration of National Register National Significance." |
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| Street View, Oct 2025 |
Really fascinating look at the 1880 Bridge Street Bridge over Sparkill Creek. Historic structures like this are a wonderful reminder of the engineering skills and craftsmanship of the past. It’s amazing that a late 19th-century hand-operated drawbridge built by the King Iron Bridge Company has been preserved and continues to tell the story of early transportation and industrial development.
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Thanks for sharing this interesting piece of industrial history—it’s always inspiring to see historic engineering landmarks preserved and appreciated by new generations.