Rosemont Raven Rock Bridge over Lockatong Creek

Located in Delaware Township, New Jersey, just outside of Stockton, is the Rosemont-Raven Rock Bridge, which spans 127 feet over Lockatong Creek. The Rosemont-Raven Rock Bridge has different names, such as Raven Rock Bridge and Lockatong Bridge, but I'm going with Rosemont-Raven Rock Bridge, as listed on the historical marker located next to the bridge itself. Built in 1878 at a cost of $2,800 of both cast iron and wrought iron, it is one of the earliest iron Pratt through truss bridges with phoenix columns in the United States.

This extremely rare and beautiful bridge ranks is a great example of early bridge design in New Jersey. It was built by the Lambertville Iron Works of Lambertville, New Jersey, which was a local company responsible for constructing bridges throughout Hunterdon County during the last quarter of the 19th century and run by William Cowin. The bottom lateral bracing on the bridge joins to a center ring, much like the Clinton, New Jersey bridge built in 1870, which was also constructed by the Lambertville Iron Works. But what makes the Rosemont-Raven Rock Bridge noteworthy in a historical sense is that it is a significant example of a bridge using rare Phoenix columns. The Phoenix columns are present on the vertical members and it is an extremely early example of a pin-connected Pratt through truss, having been built at a time when the bowstring truss was still a frequently selected form of metal bridge. The Rosemont-Raven Rock Bridge is a very beautiful bridge and includes a highly decorative builder plaque and decorative cast iron knee bracing at the portals, along with attractive lattice railings. In addition, the bridge includes decorative finials on top of each panel and connection point.

Today, Hunterdon County owns the classic bridge over Lockatong Creek and it was restored in 2014 at a cost of more than $2.1 million. As happenstance would be, I stumbled upon this bridge in January 2017 during a drive up the Delaware River area in New Jersey. So naturally, I had to stop and take a few photos.

How to Get There:

Sources and Links:
Raven Rock Bridge - HistoricBridges.org
Raven Rock Rosemont Road Bridge - Bridgehunter
Raven Rock Road Bridge - National Park Service
Bridge on Rosemont-Raven Rock Road opens with a ceremony - NJ.com
The Lockatong Bridge over Raven Rock Road, part one - Goodspeed Histories
The Lockatong Bridge over Raven Rock Road, part two - Goodspeed Histories
The Bridges of New Jersey - Stephen M. Richman (via Google Books)

Comments

Morgan Territory Road

Morgan Territory Road is an approximately 14.7-mile-long roadway mostly located in the Diablo Range of Contra Costa County, California. The roadway is named after settler Jerimah Morgan who established a ranch in the Diablo Range in 1857. Morgan Territory Road was one of several facilities constructed during the Gold Rush era to serve the ranch holdings. The East Bay Regional Park District would acquire 930 acres of Morgan Territory in 1975 in an effort to establish a preserve east of Mount Diablo. The preserve has since been expanded to 5,324 acres. The preserve functionally stunts the development along roadway allowing it to remain surprisingly primitive in a major urban area. Part 1; the history of Morgan Territory Road During the period of early period of American Statehood much of the Diablo Range of Contra Costa County was sparsely developed. Jerimah Morgan acquired 2,000 acres of land east of Mount Diablo in 1856 and established a ranch in 1857. Morgan Territory Road is

The 1915 Fine Gold Creek Bridge (Madera County)

The 1915 Fine Gold Creek Bridge is an early era arch concrete structure found alongside modern Madera County Road 200. The structure was modeled as a smaller scale of the 1905 Pollasky Bridge (still in ruins at the San Joaquin River) and was one of many early twentieth century improvements to what was then known as the Fresno-Fresno Flats Road. The 1915-era bridge was replaced with a modernized concrete span during 1947 but was never demolished. The original concrete structure can be still found sitting in the brush north of the 2023 Fine Gold Creek Bridge. Part 1; the history of the 1915 Fine Gold Creek Bridge The 1915 Fine Gold Creek Bridge lies near the site of the former mining community of Fine Gold. Mining claims were staked at Fine Gold during the Mariposa War during 1850. The community was never very large but became a stopping point on the stage road between the original Fresno County seat at Millerton and Fresno Flats (now Oakhurst). The stage road eventually bypas

Old Sonoma Road

Old Sonoma Road is an approximately five-mile highway located in the Mayacamas Mountains of western Napa County. The roadway is part of the original stage road which connected Napa Valley west to Mission San Francisco Solano as part of El Camino Real. Much of Old Sonoma Road was bypassed by the start of the twentieth century by way of Sonoma Highway. A portion of Old Sonoma Road over the 1896 Carneros Creek Bridge (pictured as the blog cover) was adopted as part of Legislative Route Number 8 upon voter approval of the 1909 First State Highway Bond Act. The 1896 Carneros Creek Bridge served as a segment of California State Route 37 and California State Route 12 from 1934 through 1954. Part 1; the history of Old Sonoma Road Old Sonoma Road has origins tied to the formation of Mission San Francisco Solano and the Spanish iteration of El Camino Real. Mission San Francisco Solano was founded as the last and most northern Spanish Mission of Alta California on July 4, 1823. The new M

Gribblenation

Search This Blog