Bartlett's Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bartlett's Bridge
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Bartlett's Bridge in 2012
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Oxford, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1889 |
| Architect | Charles A. Allen |
| Architectural style | Stone arch bridge |
| NRHP reference No. | 00000077 |
| Added to NRHP | February 10, 2000 |
Bartlett's Bridge is a really old and important stone bridge in Oxford, Massachusetts. It carries Clara Barton Road over the French River. This bridge was built in 1889 and is special because it's a great example of how stone bridges were built in the late 1800s.
The bridge was first made to help wagons and trucks get to a nearby factory that made cloth. Because it's so important, Bartlett's Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. This list helps protect places that are important to history.
What Does Bartlett's Bridge Look Like?
Bartlett's Bridge is in the northern part of Oxford, in an area that now has many homes and open spaces. The bridge is about 30 feet (9 meters) long and 42 feet (13 meters) wide. Its curved arch goes up 13 feet (4 meters) above the river.
The outside of the bridge is made from rough-cut granite stones held together with mortar, which is like strong cement. But the stones that form the arch are very carefully shaped and fit together. The bridge also has strong side walls, called parapet walls. These walls are made of large granite slabs that are about 4.5 feet (1.4 meters) tall and 2 feet (0.6 meters) wide.
How Was Bartlett's Bridge Built?
The bridge was built in 1889. It was designed by Charles A. Allen, who was a civil engineer for the city of Worcester at the time. A civil engineer is someone who designs things like roads, bridges, and buildings.
The town decided to build this bridge because Edwin Bartlett, who owned factories that made cloth in North Oxford, needed a better way for his businesses and workers to cross the river. He had asked the town to build a bridge made of iron. However, the town chose to build a stone bridge instead.
Stonemasons from Worcester built the bridge in just six months. It cost about $2200, which was a lot of money back then! This bridge was built a few years before the state of Massachusetts started to have official rules for how highway bridges should be built. This makes Bartlett's Bridge an even more interesting example of old bridge building.
