Skip to main content

Hares Hill Road Bridge - Chester County, Pennsylvania

Image
By

 


The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has plenty of interesting and historic bridges. While the state hosts a large number of covered bridges, there are a good number of historic iron truss bridges that can be found as well. By happenstance, I found the Hares Hill Road Bridge in Chester County while driving around the county this past summer. Also known as the Silver Bridge, this bridge was built in 1869 and spans over the scenic French Creek in East Pikeland Township between Kimberton and Phoenixville at a length of 105 feet. But the bridge's age isn't what makes it unique.

The Hares Hill Bridge was built by the Moseley Iron Bridge and Roof Company of Boston, Massachusetts and is a wrought iron bowstring bridge. The bridge was designed by Thomas Moseley, who held patents on wrought iron bridges going back to 1857. The bridge is one of the earliest examples of a bowstring truss bridge, a type of bridge that rapidly came and went into fashion, briefly becoming popular during the years following the Civil War. Bowstring truss bridges are rare enough today, and it is possible that the Hares Hill Bridge may be the last of its kind. The bridge is also among the oldest metal bridges of any design remaining in North America. As a result, the historic significance of the Hares Hill Bridge may not have a similar comparison to other small highway bridges within the United States of America.

The bridge should have a good future ahead of it. There was a project that took place in 2018 to allow the rehabilitation of the Hares Hill Road Bridge by reconstructing the damaged and deteriorated wingwalls, reconstructing the stone masonry parapets with reinforced concrete, and installing brown guiderail to protect the blunt ends of the parapets. A concrete strip on the bridge deck has also been installed to allow for easier crossing by cyclists.

There is a pull-off at the south end of the bridge if you want to check out the bridge, or perhaps to fish or enjoy the nearby French Creek Trail. This made it easy to explore the Hares Hill Road Bridge in all of its glory.

The Hares Hill Road Bridge crosses French Creek, part of the Pennsylvania Scenic Rivers System.

Side profile of the Hares Hill Road Bridge and related stone masonry work.

Examining the wrought iron work along the bridge.

Wading in the French Creek Bridge to get all of the good bridge pictures.

Bridge plaque commemorating the commissioners and contractor at the time of the original construction of the Hares Hill Road Bridge in 1869.

Bridge plaque honoring the bridge masonry rehabilitation in 2018.

A parting shot as I get ready to bid the Hares Hill Road Bridge adieu.


How to Get There:



Sources and Links:
Bridgehunter.com - Hares Hill Road Bridge
HistoricBridges.org - Hares Hill Road Bridge
The Mercury - Hares Hill Road bridge re-opens in East Pikeland (August 20, 2018)
Labels:
Location: Hares Hill Rd, East Pikeland Township, PA, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Abandoned US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon

By
Within the Truckee River Canyon in the Sierra Nevada range numerous abandoned portions of US Route 40 can be found alongside modern Interstate 80.   This segment of highway was opened during 1926 as a bypass of the Dog Valley Grade which carried the early North Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway. The corridor of the Truckee River Canyon State Highway would be assigned as US Route 40 when the US Route System was commissioned during November 1926. During 1958 the segment of Interstate 80 between Boca, California and the Nevada state line was complete. When Interstate 80 opened east of Boca numerous obsolete portions of US Route 40 were abandoned. Some of these abandoned segments have been incorporated into the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail.  Part 1; the history of US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon The Truckee River Canyon for centuries has been an established corridor of travel known to native tribes crossing the Sierra Nevada range.  The first documented wagon crossi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former California State Route 41 past Bates Station

By
When California State Route 41 was commissioned during August 1934 it was aligned along the then existing Fresno-Yosemite Road north of the San Joaquin River.  Within the Sierra Nevada foothills of Madera County, the original highway alignment ran past Bates Station via what is now Madera County Road 209, part of eastern Road 406 and Road 207.   Bates Station was a stage station plotted during the early 1880s at what was the intersection of the Coarsegold Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road.   The modern alignment bypassing Bates Station to the east would be reopened to traffic during late 1939.   Part 1; the history of California State Route 41 past Bates Station Bates Station was featured as one of the many 1875-1899 Madera County era towns in the May 21, 1968, Madera Tribune .  Post Office Service at Bates Station is noted to have been established on November 23, 1883 and ran continuously until October 31, 1903.  The postal name was sourced...
Post a Comment
Read more

The William Flinn (not Flynn) Highway - Pittsburgh's Misspelled Street

By
For decades if you traveled along PA Route 8 in Pittsburgh's North Hills suburbs, you would have noticed signs that read "William Flynn Highway" at every intersection.  Even today, many businesses and residences have their addresses listed as XXXX William Flynn Highway.  However, it's not William Flynn Highway, it is William FLINN Highway - and the gentleman who it is named for has a long and storied past in Pittsburgh's infrastructure history. William Flinn was born in England in 1851; however later that year, his family emigrated to the United States and would settle in Pittsburgh.  A 10-year-old school dropout, Flinn grew interested in politics and would join the Allegheny County Republican Party in 1877 as a ward commissioner and a seat on the Board of Fire Commissioners.  Flinn would serve in the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives and Senate from 1877 to 1902. (1) Flinn along with James J. Booth would found the Booth and Flinn construction firm ...
2 comments
Read more