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bridge and publicized it widely, it was not a success. "Part of the superstructure broke down in
September, 1810, while a drove of cattle was crossing it, and in January, 1816, the bridge fell down, occasioned by the great weight of snow which remained on it, and a decayed piece of timber." A wooden
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Its chains were made of 1.5-inch-square (3.8 cm) iron bar wrought into links of between 8 and 12 feet (2.44 and 3.66 m) in length. These were used for both the cables and the vertical suspenders. The suspenders were attached to 10-by-5-inch (25.4 cm x 12.7 cm) wooden joists spaced 10
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The Chain Bridge had two spans: an eastern one of 200 feet (60.96 m), and a western one of about 100 feet (30.48 m). The bridge's chain cables were carried over paired
325:(1853–56, still in use) was built at the approximate location of the Chain Bridge. This photograph was taken from almost the same spot as the Birch painting.
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268:, but that bridge had a single 70-foot span. Strickland's elevation shows a multi-span bridge, and the caption below it reads "200 ft. span."
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feet (3 m) apart, and covered by a 2.5-inch-thick (6.4 cm) wooden deck that was 18 feet (5.5 m) wide and 306 feet (93.26 m) long.
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wooden towers on its east and west abutments, and a third pair of towers atop a stone pier built in the river.
217:, it became the model for his later chain suspension bridges. It collapsed in 1816 under a heavy load of snow.
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248:(1853–56, still in use) crosses the Schuylkill at the approximate location of the Chain Bridge.
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covered bridge was built upon the Chain Bridge's abutments in 1818, but washed away in 1822.
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305:"View of Chain Bridge and Falls of Schuylkill, Five Miles from Philadelphia" (1811), by
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Picturesque United States of
America, 1811, 1812, 1813, Being a Memoir on Paul Svinin
456:(Harrisburg: National Historical Association, Inc., 1931), vol. 2, pp. 411–12.
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Paintings and
Miniatures at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
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Philadelphia & Reading
Railroad, Schuylkill River Viaduct
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A watercolor copy of HSP's Birch painting (by
Russian artist
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painted the bridge twice in 1811; one painting is at the
35:"View of the Chain Bridge invented by James Finley Esq."
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431:(New York: William Edwin Rudge, 1930), plate 35.
321:"View from Laurel Hill Cemetery, Phila." The
264:. It is frequently misidentified as Finley's
256:The illustration above (drawn by architect
260:) was published in the June 1810 issue of
510:Wrought iron bridges in the United States
364:List of crossings of the Schuylkill River
246:Philadelphia & Reading Railway Bridge
279:, the other is in a private collection.
495:Demolished bridges in the United States
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359:Spider Bridge at Falls of Schuylkill
16:Bridge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
199:Chain Bridge at Falls of Schuylkill
84:Chain Bridge at Falls of Schuylkill
23:Chain Bridge at Falls of Schuylkill
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480:Suspension bridges in Pennsylvania
416:(Philadelphia: HSP, 1974), p. 131.
277:Historical Society of Pennsylvania
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470:Bridges over the Schuylkill River
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286:) is in the collection of the
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236:Although Finley patented his
500:Road bridges in Pennsylvania
454:Encyclopedia of Philadelphia
449:, vol. 3, no. 6 (June 1810).
203:iron-chain suspension bridge
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344:is visible at upper right.
288:Metropolitan Museum of Art
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211:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
111:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
475:Bridges completed in 1808
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412:Nicholas B. Wainwright,
485:Bridges in Philadelphia
213:. Designed by inventor
309:(private collection).
425:Avrahm Yarmolinsky,
342:Laurel Hill Cemetery
266:Jacob's Creek Bridge
141:18 feet (5.5 m)
133:306 feet (93 m)
403:Jackson, p. 411-12.
338:Falls of Schuylkill
238:Falls of Schuylkill
73:40.0064°N 75.1927°W
68: /
258:William Strickland
125:Wrought iron chain
37:William Strickland
205:built across the
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78:40.0064; -75.1927
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452:Joseph Jackson,
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207:Schuylkill River
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101:Schuylkill River
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152:2 unequal spans
117:Characteristics
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307:Thomas Birch
284:Pavel Svinin
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273:Thomas Birch
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215:James Finley
201:was an 1808
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166:James Finley
130:Total length
43:, June 1810.
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209:, north of
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50:Coordinates
464:Categories
370:References
82: (
63:75°11′34″W
60:40°00′23″N
385:, p. 449.
180:Collapsed
353:See also
188:Location
162:Designer
149:of spans
122:Material
439:Sources
271:Artist
227:A-frame
221:History
157:History
97:Crossed
252:Images
172:Opened
107:Locale
138:Width
244:The
183:1816
175:1808
147:No.
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39:,
86:)
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