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Perkiomen Bridge

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designed by John Lewis the bridge was 27 feet (8.2 m) wide and 453 feet (138 m) long including the approaches. Five arches cross the creek with the center arch 76 feet (23 m) long, and the arches next to it 61 feet (19 m) long. The outside arches are 30 feet (9.1 m) long. Supporting the eastern approach is a sixth arch, 56 feet (17 m) long, which is about 100 feet (30 m) east of the creek.
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about 1816, but the trip across the bridge remained toll-free until 1867. In that year a toll booth was constructed on the western end of the bridge, and outraged residents burned it down before any tolls could be collected. In 1872 a toll booth was erected on the eastern end. This time residents
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was built on the west bank of the creek, just to the north of the current bridge site, then known as Phillips Ford. In 1728 the Lenni Lenape released their claim on land in the area for "two guns, six coats, six blankets, six duffel match coats, and four kettles," in effect selling the land again.
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The bridge was widened in 1928 by removing all the stone facing on the north side of the bridge, extending the arches 15 feet (4.6 m) north with concrete rather than stone, and resetting the facing. This expansion added a third lane of traffic and a sidewalk on the north side. Rounded columns
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The creek is about 150 feet (46 m) wide and runs north and south near Collegeville. The road, however, runs northwest to southeast and the bridge crosses perpendicular to the creek causing a sharp turn in the road on the east side of the bridge, and a more gradual bend on the west side. As
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A second hotel was built in the area by 1770, to accommodate the traffic between Philadelphia and Reading. Several wooden bridges, including a pontoon bridge, were built across the ford before 1797, but they were all destroyed within a few years by springtime flooding.
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The bridge was not completely paid for, so tolls were collected for five years after its construction. Increased road traffic followed the completion of the bridge, and with the start of regular stage coach service between Philadelphia and Reading, the
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lobbied for the removal of the old bridge in 1938, to be replaced by a steel and concrete bridge. No major changes to the bridge occurred however and in the 1980s the new routing of US 422 removed much of the heavy traffic from the bridge.
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The Pennsylvania Legislature approved a lottery in 1797 to raise funds for the bridge, eventually raising $ 20,000. The bridge was completed in 1799 at a cost of $ 60,000, opening on November 2.
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tribe in 1684 and eventually sold to Thomas Ruyard of London. In 1699 Edward Lane bought the land from Ruyard, and the purchase was confirmed by Penn in 1701. About 1706 the first section of the
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on the north. A historical society sued to keep the tracks off the bridge, but the trolley company built the tracks without permission, presenting the court with a
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supporting pedestrian viewing bays were added on the north side of the piers. Shorter angular columns were added on the south side of the bridge.
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in 1988. The Perkiomen Bridge Hotel adjacent to the bridge was listed separately on the National Register of Historic Places.
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obtained a court order prohibiting the collection of tolls within a mile of the bridge, then they burned down the toll booth.
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The bridge is constructed of cut stones, but they are only laid in regular courses on the
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Highway Bridges Owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Transportation TR
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Trolley tracks were laid on the south side of the bridge in 1896, eventually connecting
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financed $ 20,000 of the original construction. The bridge carried the main road from
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List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Pennsylvania
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to the east end of the bridge in 1804, and from the western end of the bridge to
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National Register of Historic Places listings in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
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List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
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marker was erected by the bridge in 1947 and the bridge was listed on the
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Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), HAER PA-310, data pages 1-5.
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Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
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National Register of Historic Places in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
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Enter "public" for ID and "public" for password to access the site.
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Enter "public" for ID and "public" for password to access the site.
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List of Pennsylvania state historical markers in Montgomery County
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became an overnight stop marking the halfway point of the trip.
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Pennsylvania Historic Resources Survey Form for Perkiomen Bridge
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US National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
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Searchable database, search keyword "Perkiomen Bridge"
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South side of the bridge with shorter angular columns
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Historic American Engineering Record in Pennsylvania
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
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The original dedication plaque on the bridge reads:
338:The area on the "Pahkehoma" Creek was purchased by 444:To avoid the necessity of curved approaches, the 1421: 278:, known at various times as the Manatawny Pike, 800:NRHP Nomination Form for Perkiomen Bridge Hotel 539:National Register of Historic Places portal 254:in the United States still in use. It crosses 689: 687: 685: 843: 454:Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission 302:North side of the bridge with rounded columns 823:Photo of a trolley car on the bridge in 1921 682: 599: 1440:Bridges in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania 850: 836: 55: 694:Borough of Collegeville - A Brief History 666: 664: 35:U.S. National Register of Historic Places 382:of our Lord 1798 & finished in 1799 305: 297: 102: 77: 1460:Stone arch bridges in the United States 404:John Lewis Architect and Superintendent 384:Fredk Conrad Saml Maulsby Conrad Boyer 1422: 661: 583:"National Register Information System" 831: 282:, the Philadelphia-Reading Pike, and 1361:Native American archaeological sites 785:", 10 photos, 5 data pages 779:Historic American Engineering Record 588:National Register of Historic Places 458:National Register of Historic Places 1450:Former toll bridges in Pennsylvania 575: 13: 14: 1471: 806: 1403: 1394: 1393: 913: 906: 532: 520: 508: 496: 477: 465: 391:John Pugh Samuel Beard John Burk 363: 101: 94: 76: 69: 760: 751: 742: 733: 724: 715: 446:American Automobile Association 441:. The trolleys ran until 1933. 293: 706: 673: 650: 647:Thomas, 1984, Item 8, pp. 1-2. 641: 629: 386:James Bean & Henry Sheetz 379:Bridge was founded in the Year 212: 44:Pennsylvania Historical Marker 1: 1356:European archaeological sites 569: 110:Show map of the United States 16:United States historic place 7: 1376:National Historic Landmarks 783:Perkiomen Stone Arch Bridge 730:Thomas, 1984, Item 8, p. 2. 489: 10: 1476: 818:Historical Marker Database 772: 712:Thomas, 1984, Item 8, p. 2 611:Historical Marker Database 333: 124:Collegeville, Pennsylvania 1435:Bridges completed in 1799 1389: 1348: 1285: 922: 904: 865: 781:(HAER) No. PA-310, " 703:, accessed April 9, 2011. 607:"PHMC Historical Markers" 236: 228: 223: 211:NRHP reference  210: 198: 190: 182: 174: 166: 129: 119: 63: 54: 50: 41: 32: 25: 21: 798:George E. Thomas, 1984, 411:hotel next to the bridge 191:Architectural style 85:Show map of Pennsylvania 636:PHMC Historical Markers 544:Frankford Avenue Bridge 527:Pennsylvania portal 878:Keeper of the Register 515:Engineering portal 395:Undertakers of Masonry 348:Perkiomen Bridge Hotel 322:and on the top of the 311: 303: 893:National Park Service 873:Contributing property 593:National Park Service 309: 301: 194:Multi-span stone arch 151:40.18417°N 75.44833°W 791:District 6–0, 1982, 503:Transport portal 237:Designated PHMC 813:Along the Perkiomen 617:on December 7, 2013 186:Lewis, John; Et al. 156:40.18417; -75.44833 147: /  699:2011-07-18 at the 433:to the south with 417:were created from 312: 304: 252:stone arch bridges 240:September 04, 1947 170:less than one acre 1417: 1416: 883:Historic district 595:. March 13, 2009. 244: 243: 224:Significant dates 1467: 1407: 1397: 1396: 917: 910: 909: 852: 845: 838: 829: 828: 767: 764: 758: 755: 749: 746: 740: 737: 731: 728: 722: 719: 713: 710: 704: 691: 680: 677: 671: 668: 659: 654: 648: 645: 639: 633: 627: 626: 624: 622: 603: 597: 596: 579: 537: 536: 535: 525: 524: 523: 513: 512: 501: 500: 481: 469: 367: 248:Perkiomen Bridge 214: 162: 161: 159: 158: 157: 152: 148: 145: 144: 143: 140: 111: 105: 104: 98: 86: 80: 79: 73: 59: 27:Perkiomen Bridge 19: 18: 1475: 1474: 1470: 1469: 1468: 1466: 1465: 1464: 1420: 1419: 1418: 1413: 1385: 1344: 1281: 923:Lists by county 918: 912: 911: 907: 902: 861: 856: 809: 775: 770: 765: 761: 756: 752: 747: 743: 738: 734: 729: 725: 720: 716: 711: 707: 701:Wayback Machine 692: 683: 678: 674: 669: 662: 655: 651: 646: 642: 634: 630: 620: 618: 605: 604: 600: 581: 580: 576: 572: 533: 531: 521: 519: 507: 495: 492: 485: 482: 473: 470: 406: 402: 397: 392: 390: 385: 383: 380: 378: 373: 368: 336: 296: 290:or Old US 422. 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826: 825: 820: 815: 808: 807:External links 805: 804: 803: 796: 786: 774: 771: 769: 768: 759: 750: 741: 739:HAER, pp. 3-4. 732: 723: 714: 705: 681: 672: 660: 649: 640: 628: 598: 573: 571: 568: 567: 566: 561: 556: 551: 546: 541: 529: 517: 505: 491: 488: 487: 486: 484:Bridge in 2011 483: 476: 474: 471: 464: 371: 370: 369: 362: 335: 332: 295: 292: 242: 241: 238: 234: 233: 230: 226: 225: 221: 220: 215: 208: 207: 202: 196: 195: 192: 188: 187: 184: 180: 179: 176: 172: 171: 168: 164: 163: 131: 127: 126: 121: 117: 116: 100: 99: 93: 92: 91: 90: 75: 74: 68: 67: 66: 65: 64: 61: 60: 52: 51: 48: 47: 42: 39: 38: 33: 30: 29: 26: 23: 22: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1472: 1461: 1458: 1456: 1453: 1451: 1448: 1446: 1443: 1441: 1438: 1436: 1433: 1431: 1428: 1427: 1425: 1410: 1406: 1402: 1400: 1392: 1391: 1388: 1381: 1377: 1374: 1371: 1367: 1364: 1362: 1359: 1357: 1354: 1353: 1351: 1347: 1339: 1336: 1334: 1331: 1329: 1326: 1324: 1321: 1319: 1316: 1314: 1311: 1309: 1306: 1305: 1304: 1301: 1299: 1296: 1294: 1291: 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Retrieved 615:the original 610: 601: 586: 577: 472:Morning mist 451: 443: 438: 428: 407: 403: 399: 394: 388:County Comm. 387: 375: 374: 357: 353: 344:Lenni Lenape 340:William Penn 337: 328: 317: 313: 294:Architecture 272:Philadelphia 264:Pennsylvania 260:Collegeville 247: 245: 120:Nearest city 1409:NRHP portal 1349:Other lists 1308:Center City 1232:Susquehanna 1182:Northampton 757:HABS, p. 5. 748:HAER, p. 4. 721:HAER, p. 3. 154: / 130:Coordinates 1424:Categories 1293:Pittsburgh 1257:Washington 1212:Schuylkill 1172:Montgomery 1117:Lackawanna 1097:Huntingdon 1047:Cumberland 1027:Clearfield 570:References 431:Norristown 419:Germantown 288:Ridge Pike 142:75°26′54″W 1333:Southwest 1323:Northwest 1318:Northeast 1298:Lancaster 1122:Lancaster 1107:Jefferson 940:Armstrong 935:Allegheny 415:Turnpikes 400:Carpenter 342:from the 320:spandrels 183:Architect 139:40°11′3″N 1399:Category 1227:Sullivan 1222:Somerset 1147:Lycoming 1127:Lawrence 1082:Franklin 1057:Delaware 1042:Crawford 1037:Columbia 965:Bradford 697:Archived 490:See also 218:88000826 1370:covered 1366:Bridges 1272:Wyoming 1247:Venango 1177:Montour 1162:Mifflin 1142:Luzerne 1132:Lebanon 1112:Juniata 1102:Indiana 1072:Fayette 1052:Dauphin 1032:Clinton 1022:Clarion 1000:Chester 985:Cameron 980:Cambria 950:Bedford 789:PennDOT 773:Sources 670:PennDOT 423:Reading 334:History 324:parapet 276:Reading 268:lottery 1252:Warren 1217:Snyder 1207:Potter 1167:Monroe 1157:Mercer 1152:McKean 1137:Lehigh 1092:Greene 1087:Fulton 1077:Forest 995:Centre 990:Carbon 975:Butler 945:Beaver 866:Topics 435:Trappe 284:US 422 1328:South 1313:North 1262:Wayne 1242:Union 1237:Tioga 1192:Perry 1015:South 1010:North 970:Bucks 960:Blair 955:Berks 930:Adams 258:near 175:Built 1338:West 1277:York 1202:Pike 1067:Erie 1005:East 679:HAER 623:2013 376:This 246:The 178:1799 167:Area 1062:Elk 274:to 213:No. 200:MPS 1426:: 684:^ 663:^ 609:. 591:. 585:. 452:A 326:. 262:, 1382:) 1378:( 1372:) 1368:( 851:e 844:t 837:v 625:.

Index

U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Pennsylvania Historical Marker

Perkiomen Bridge is located in Pennsylvania
Perkiomen Bridge is located in the United States
Collegeville, Pennsylvania
40°11′3″N 75°26′54″W / 40.18417°N 75.44833°W / 40.18417; -75.44833
MPS
Highway Bridges Owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Transportation TR
88000826
stone arch bridges
Perkiomen Creek
Collegeville
Pennsylvania
lottery
Philadelphia
Reading
Germantown Pike
US 422
Ridge Pike


spandrels
parapet
William Penn
Lenni Lenape
Perkiomen Bridge Hotel

hotel next to the bridge
Turnpikes

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