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Washington Bridge, Washington Heights

The Washington Bridge, the next major extant bridge constructed in New York City after the Brooklyn Bridge, is a monument in the history of nineteenth-century American engineering. A steel and cast- and wrought-iron arch bridge with arched masonry approaches, the Washington Bridge was constructed over the Harlem River in 1886-1889 to connect the Washington Heights section of Manhattan with the Bronx. It has long been considered one of the nation's finest nineteenth-century steel arch bridges, perhaps second only to the famous Eads Bridge in St. Louis of 1867-74 .

History of the Project

After the Civil War, as the development of upper Manhattan proceeded, plans were begun for a crossing over the Harlem River to the Bronx, In 1868 the Board of Commissioners of Central Park (then responsible for the layout of new streets in upper Manhattan) considered the question of a new bridge in connection with the development of Washington Heights when Andrew Haswell Green, executive officer of the Board, suggested in a report that a bridge be built north of the High Bridge Aqueduct (Completed in 1848 by engineer John B. Jervis, High Bridge is a designated New York City Landmark.)

In 1869 the New York State Legislature authorized a survey of bridge locations along the Harlem River, and an act of May 19, 1870, mandated the newly created Department of Public Parks to locate and build a bridge. Following a delay of several years, the New York State Supreme Court appointed commissioners in February 1876,to supervise the assemblage of land for the new bridge.

A site was chosen 1500 feet north of High Bridge and land was acquired on both sides of the river.

After another delay of several years, four alternate bridge designs including suspension, iron cantilever, and masonry arch types were proposed in February 1881, by William Jarvis McAlpine, chief engineer of the Department of Public Parks. In 1883 the department requested further design submissions and several were received, for cantilever and metal arch bridges.

But since the only action in fifteen years was land acquisition, political pressure was applied (particularly by Andrew H. Green) for the transfer of bridge construction authority to a different body. On June 11, 1885, the Legislature created the Harlem River Bridge Commission (Chapter 487, Laws of 1885), and three new commissioners were appointed on July 21, 1885. William J. McAlpine was named chief engineer to the commissioners on September 29, 1885.

McAlpine (1812-1890) was one of the country's leading engineers, involved during his long career with a great variety of difficult engineering projects in the United States, Canada, and around the world. Raised in upstate New York, he was a student of engineer John B, Jervis. Projects on which he worked included numerous railroads and canals in New York State and elsewhere, the waterworks of Brooklyn, Albany, and Chicago, the U.S. Navy Yard dry dock in Brooklyn, and the Third Avenue Bridge and Riverside Park and Drive in New York City. In 1852 he was elected State Engineer of New York, and served as State Railroad Commissioner from 1855 to 1857.

In 1865 he was chairman of the commission of engineers appointed to examine plans for the St. Louis Bridge. He served as third president of the American Society of Civil Engineers from 1868 to 1869.

The Iron and Steel Arch Bridge

Interest in the use of iron and steel for American bridges had increased greatly in the last third of the nineteenth century. The arch bridge was the second oldest form, after the suspension bridge, in which iron was used exclusively for structural members. The first iron arch bridge was constructed by-Darby and Wilkinson in 1775-1781 over the River Severn at Coalbrookdale, England.

The first American iron arch bridge, completed in 1839 by Richard Delafield, carried the National Road over Dunlap's Creek at Brownsville, Pennsylvania. The second American iron arch bridge was the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge-Aqueduct over Rock Creek in Washington, D.C., built by Gen. Montgomery C. Miegs in 1858.

But the use of the iron arch for bridges in the United States was rare until after the Civil War, when foundries were finally able to cast elements on a large enough scale. Carl Condit asserts that, "When the arch of iron and steel finally began to compete successfully with other forms, it did so because the builders frequently chose it on aesthetic rather than functional grounds."

With the triple-span Eads Bridge crossing the Mississippi River at St. Louis, designed by James B. Eads and built in 1867-1874, the use of steel was introduced into American bridge construction. The Eads Bridge is generally considered the greatest of the nineteenth-century American metal arch bridges.

The Design Competition

Deciding that the new Harlem River Bridge should stand as a monument that could be compared with the recently completed Brooklyn Bridge, an iron susp

Harlem River Drive (Harlem River Speedway), Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, Manhattan

The Washington Bridge, the next major extant bridge constructed in New York City after the Brooklyn Bridge, is a monument in the history of nineteenth-century American engineering. A steel and cast- and wrought-iron arch bridge with arched masonry approaches, the Washington Bridge was constructed over the Harlem River in 1886-1889 to connect the Washington Heights section of Manhattan with the Bronx. It has long been considered one of the nation's finest nineteenth-century steel arch bridges, perhaps second only to the famous Eads Bridge in St. Louis of 1867-74 .

History of the Project

After the Civil War, as the development of upper Manhattan proceeded, plans were begun for a crossing over the Harlem River to the Bronx, In 1868 the Board of Commissioners of Central Park (then responsible for the layout of new streets in upper Manhattan) considered the question of a new bridge in connection with the development of Washington Heights when Andrew Haswell Green, executive officer of the Board, suggested in a report that a bridge be built north of the High Bridge Aqueduct (Completed in 1848 by engineer John B. Jervis, High Bridge is a designated New York City Landmark.)

In 1869 the New York State Legislature authorized a survey of bridge locations along the Harlem River, and an act of May 19, 1870, mandated the newly created Department of Public Parks to locate and build a bridge. Following a delay of several years, the New York State Supreme Court appointed commissioners in February 1876,to supervise the assemblage of land for the new bridge.

A site was chosen 1500 feet north of High Bridge and land was acquired on both sides of the river.

After another delay of several years, four alternate bridge designs including suspension, iron cantilever, and masonry arch types were proposed in February 1881, by William Jarvis McAlpine, chief engineer of the Department of Public Parks. In 1883 the department requested further design submissions and several were received, for cantilever and metal arch bridges.

But since the only action in fifteen years was land acquisition, political pressure was applied (particularly by Andrew H. Green) for the transfer of bridge construction authority to a different body. On June 11, 1885, the Legislature created the Harlem River Bridge Commission (Chapter 487, Laws of 1885), and three new commissioners were appointed on July 21, 1885. William J. McAlpine was named chief engineer to the commissioners on September 29, 1885.

McAlpine (1812-1890) was one of the country's leading engineers, involved during his long career with a great variety of difficult engineering projects in the United States, Canada, and around the world. Raised in upstate New York, he was a student of engineer John B, Jervis. Projects on which he worked included numerous railroads and canals in New York State and elsewhere, the waterworks of Brooklyn, Albany, and Chicago, the U.S. Navy Yard dry dock in Brooklyn, and the Third Avenue Bridge and Riverside Park and Drive in New York City. In 1852 he was elected State Engineer of New York, and served as State Railroad Commissioner from 1855 to 1857.

In 1865 he was chairman of the commission of engineers appointed to examine plans for the St. Louis Bridge. He served as third president of the American Society of Civil Engineers from 1868 to 1869.

The Iron and Steel Arch Bridge

Interest in the use of iron and steel for American bridges had increased greatly in the last third of the nineteenth century. The arch bridge was the second oldest form, after the suspension bridge, in which iron was used exclusively for structural members. The first iron arch bridge was constructed by-Darby and Wilkinson in 1775-1781 over the River Severn at Coalbrookdale, England.

The first American iron arch bridge, completed in 1839 by Richard Delafield, carried the National Road over Dunlap's Creek at Brownsville, Pennsylvania. The second American iron arch bridge was the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge-Aqueduct over Rock Creek in Washington, D.C., built by Gen. Montgomery C. Miegs in 1858.

But the use of the iron arch for bridges in the United States was rare until after the Civil War, when foundries were finally able to cast elements on a large enough scale. Carl Condit asserts that, "When the arch of iron and steel finally began to compete successfully with other forms, it did so because the builders frequently chose it on aesthetic rather than functional grounds."

With the triple-span Eads Bridge crossing the Mississippi River at St. Louis, designed by James B. Eads and built in 1867-1874, the use of steel was introduced into American bridge construction. The Eads Bridge is generally considered the greatest of the nineteenth-century American metal arch bridges.

The Design Competition

Deciding that the new Harlem River Bridge should stand as a monument that could be compared with the r