Berlin Iron Bridge Co.
The Berlin Iron Bridge Company was a Berlin, Connecticut company that built iron bridges and buildings that were supported by iron. It is credited as the architect of numerous bridges and buildings now listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It eventually became part of the American Bridge Company.
History
The Berlin Iron Bridge Company began in 1868 as the Corrugated Metal Company, a branch of tinware firm Roys and Wilcox, which is now part of Roper Whitney.[1] Originally producing roofing and shutters, the company became involved in roof trusses. In 1878, under Samuel C. Wilcox, the company purchased the rights to the "parabolic" (lenticular truss) bridge patent from William Douglas. Douglas became treasurer and executive manager of the company. In 1885 he received another patent, and the company name was changed to Berlin Iron Bridge Company.[2]
The Berlin Iron Bridge Company constructed hundreds of bridges across the eastern United States, until 1900, when the company was acquired by the American Bridge Company.[2][3]
Berlin Steel
Almost immediately after its acquisition by the American Bridge Company, three executives from the Berlin Iron Bridge Company split from American Bridge and formed their own company, the Berlin Construction Company. The new company continued in the path of the Berlin Iron Bridge Company and continued building bridges until the 1930s. In 1962 it was renamed to the Berlin Steel Construction Company, and still exists today.[3][4] Several of their bridges have also been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bridges
- Bardwell's Ferry Bridge, built in 1882, a lenticular truss bridge
- Interlaken Mill Bridge, Rhode Island, built 1885 spanning the Pawtuxet River
- Lover's Leap Bridge, a wrought-iron lenticular truss bridge over the Housatonic River, built in 1895
- Ouaquaga Lenticular Truss Bridge, a lenticular truss bridge
- Raymondville Parabolic Bridge, a lenticular truss bridge
- Berlin Bridge over Webutuck Creek, a lenticular truss bridge manufactured in 1880 and shipped to the area for installation by local residents
- South Washington Street Parabolic Bridge, a lenticular truss bridge
- Town Line Bridge, located in the town of Taylor in Cortland County, New York, constructed in 1888
Individually NRHP-listed, surviving ones
- Ashland Mill Bridge, over the Pachaug River, near Ashland St., Griswold, CT
- Bardwell's Ferry Bridge, Bardwell's Ferry Rd. over the Deerfield River, Conway, MA
- Beaman and Smith Company Mill, 20 Gordon Ave., Providence, RI
- Boardman's Bridge, Boardman Rd. over the Housatonic River, NW of New Milford, CT
- Capewell Horse Nail Company, 60-70 Popieluszko St., Hartford, CT
- Douglas & Jarvis Patent Parabolic Truss Iron Bridge, Rte. 2 over the Missisquoi River, Highgate Falls, VT
- Glen Falls Bridge, Brunswick Ave. over the Moosup River, Plainfield, CT
- Golden Hill Bridge, Golden Hill Rd. over the Housatonic River, Lee, MA
- Hadley Parabolic Bridge, CR 1, Hadley, NY
- Interlaken Mill Bridge, spanning the Pawtuxet River at Arkwright, Coventry, RI
- Lover's Leap Bridge, S of New Milford on Pumpkin Hill Rd., New Milford, CT
- Main Street Bridge, carrying Main St. over the Rippowam River, Stamford, CT
- Melrose Road Bridge, Melrose Rd. over the Scantic River, East Windsor, CT
- Minortown Road Bridge, Minortown Rd. over the Nonewaug River, Woodbury, CT
- Ouaquaga Lenticular Truss Bridge, Dutchman Rd. over the Susquehanna River, Ouaquaga, NY
- Pineground Bridge, 0.15 mi. E of NH 28 on Depot Rd., Chichester, NH
- Providence Gas Company Purifier House, 200 Allens Ave., Providence, RI
- Raymondville Parabolic Bridge, Grant Rd. over the Raquette River, Raymondville, NY
- Red Bridge, near Oregon Rd. over the Quinnipiac River, Meriden, CT
- Rice Farm Road Bridge, Town Hwy. 62, off VT 30, Dummerston, VT
- Sheffield Street Bridge, Sheffield St. over Hancock Brook, Waterbury, CT
- South Washington Street Parabolic Bridge, S. Washington St., Binghamton, NY
- Swing Bridge, over the Ausable River, between Clinton and S. Ausable Sts., Keeseville, NY
- Town Bridge, over the Farmington River, Canton, CT
- Town Line Bridge, Town Line Rd., Taylor, NY
- Turn-of-River Bridge, Old N. Stamford Rd. at the Rippowam River, Stamford, CT. A small lenticular pony truss bridge
- Walton Bridge, Dr. Ray Rd. access over the Ausable River, Keene, NY
- Waterville Bridge, Appalachian Trail over Swatara Creek, Swatara Gap, PA
Buildings
References
- ↑ "ROPER WHITNEY: About Us". www.roperwhitney.com. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
- 1 2 "History of the Berlin Iron Bridge Company". www.past-inc.org. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
- 1 2 "History of Berlin Steel". www.berlinsteel.com. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
- ↑ Knoblock, Glenn A. (2012-01-25). Historic Iron and Steel Bridges in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. McFarland. p. 159. ISBN 9780786486991.
External links
- Berlin Iron Bridge Company web presentation