Global InformationWhipple Cast and Wrought Iron Bowstring Truss Bridge information
Whipple Cast and Wrought Iron Bowstring Truss Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Bridge seen from west, 2006 | |
| Coordinates | 42°38′09″N 73°48′02″W / 42.63583°N 73.80056°W |
| Carries | Mill Road |
| Crosses | Unnamed tributary of Normans Kill |
| Locale | Albany, NY, U.S. |
| Other name(s) | Normanskill Farm Bridge |
| Owner | City of Albany |
| Heritage status | NRHP #71000523[1] |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Whipple bowstring truss bridge |
| Material | Iron |
| Total length | 109.9 feet (33.5 m) |
| Width | 22.75 feet (6.93 m) |
| History | |
| Designer | Squire Whipple |
| Constructed by | Simon De Graff |
| Opened | 1867 |
| Location | |
 | |
The Whipple Cast and Wrought Iron Bowstring Truss Bridge (locally known as the Normanskill Farm Bridge), is located near the entrance to Stevens Farm in southwestern Albany, New York, United States. It was built in 1867, but not moved to its present location until 1899. It is one of the oldest surviving iron bridges in the county, one of the few that use both cast and wrought iron and one of only two surviving examples of the Whipple bowstring truss type. In 1971 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the only bridge in the city of Albany so far to be listed individually.[1]
A Syracuse-based builder copied Squire Whipple's original bowstring truss design, the patent for which had expired by the time of its construction. Where it was originally located is not known;[2] it is believed to have been somewhere west of the city, possibly in Schoharie County.
When the old Albany and Delaware Turnpike, today Delaware Avenue, was rerouted in 1899 to what is now Normanskill Drive, it was moved to its present location to make the farm more accessible from the main road. When Delaware was straightened out into what is today New York State Route 443 (NY 443), traffic on the bridge went down, allowing the bridge to remain in use, although only for cars. Today it is limited only to pedestrian use, and is closed in winter. The City of Albany approved a small-scale restoration project in 2012.
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ Chester H. Liebs (September 1970). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Whipple Cast and Wrought Iron Bowstring Truss Bridge". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2010-10-18. See also: "Accompanying three photos".