Suspension Bridges Crossing Schuylkill River
This is a list of all 4 bridges from the suspension bridge inventory crossing Schuylkill River. Please note that different rivers with the same name will be grouped together. For example, selecting 'Bear Creek' shows bridges across several different Bear Creeks. Also, similarly named rivers are grouped separately. For example, 'River Dee' (UK) bridges are grouped separately from 'Dee River' (Australia) bridges. Wherever you see a Bridgemeister ID number click it to isolate the bridge on its own page.
Related Lists:
1809: Schuylkill Falls
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - Schuylkill River
| Bridgemeister ID: | 9 (added before 2003) |
| Year Completed: | 1809 |
| Name: | Schuylkill Falls |
| Location: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Crossing: | Schuylkill River |
| Principals: | John Templeman |
| References: | AAJ, BBR, BPL, CAB, DSE20000118, HBE, PTS2 |
| Status: | Removed |
| Main Cables: | Chain (iron) |
| Suspended Spans: | 2 |
| Main Spans: | 2 x 46.6 meters (153 feet) |
| Deck width: | 18 feet |
Notes:
- Failed 1811, 1816. HBE notes the 1811 was due to weight of cattle. The 1816 failure was due to weight of ice and snow.
External Links:
1810: (suspension bridge)
Paulings Ford, Pennsylvania, USA - Schuylkill River
| Bridgemeister ID: | 11 (added before 2003) |
| Year Completed: | 1810 |
| Name: | (suspension bridge) |
| Location: | Paulings Ford, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Crossing: | Schuylkill River |
| References: | CAB |
| Status: | Removed |
| Main Cables: | Chain (iron) |
External Links:
1816: Spider
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - Schuylkill River
| Bridgemeister ID: | 20 (added before 2003) |
| Year Completed: | 1816 |
| Name: | Spider |
| Location: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Crossing: | Schuylkill River |
| Principals: | Josiah White, Erskine Hazard |
| References: | AAJ, BOB, BPL, GHD, HBE, LAB, PTS2 |
| Use: | Footbridge |
| Status: | Removed |
| Main Cables: | Wire (iron) |
| Main Span: | 1 x 120 meters (393.75 feet) |
Notes:
- Narrow footbridge. First wire bridge in North America. HBE notes "first wire suspension bridge in any country."
- Often described as having collapsed under the weight of ice and snow, Don Sayenga notes that no contemporary sources confirm this demise. Since the nearby chain bridge did fail under weight of ice and snow, he believes this fate has been misattributed to the White and Hazard footbridge. Don believes the bridge was just dismantled at some point after June, 1816.
- Al Zagofsky also wrote to explain there was no evidence of this bridge collapsing under weight of ice and snow. Al writes: "According to an original source Captain Joshua Rowley Watson, who inspected the bridge on June 15, 1816: '...There was a bridge, but which by the weight of ice and snow, has been carried away.' This refers to the previous bridge that the cable bridge was temporarily replacing. I did not see any cause for failure of the wire rope bridge. My guess is that it was removed when the regular bridge was repaired. The same article shows a sketch that he made, showing the main span to be 407 feet. I am looking at the Canal History and Technology Proceedings Vol 5, March 22, 1986."
1842: Fairmount
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - Schuylkill River
| Bridgemeister ID: | 24 (added before 2003) |
| Year Completed: | 1842 |
| Name: | Fairmount |
| Also Known As: | Callowhill Street, Upper Ferry |
| Location: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Crossing: | Schuylkill River |
| Principals: | Charles Ellet |
| References: | BBR, BOB, BPL, HBE, LAB, PTS2, WHSB |
| Use: | Vehicular |
| Status: | Replaced, 1875 |
| Main Cables: | Wire (iron) |
| Suspended Spans: | 1 |
| Main Span: | 1 x 104.2 meters (342 feet) |
Notes:
- BBR and BOB say the bridge was completed in 1841.
Do you have any information or photos for these bridges that you would like to share? Please email david.denenberg@bridgemeister.com.