Bridgeport Lamp Chimney Company Bowstring Concrete Arch Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bridgeport Lamp Chimney Company Bowstring Concrete Arch Bridge
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 Location in West Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | Between Mechanic Street and B&O Railroad tracks, Bridgeport, West Virginia |
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| Built | 1924 |
| Architect | Frank Duff McEnteer |
| NRHP reference No. | 96001571 |
| Added to NRHP | January 27, 1997 |
The Bridgeport Lamp Chimney Company Bowstring Concrete Arch Bridge is a special bridge in Bridgeport, West Virginia. It stands between Mechanic Street and the old Baltimore and Ohio Railroad tracks. This bridge was built in 1924. A person named Frank McEnteer designed it.
This bridge is a "bowstring reinforced concrete arch bridge." This means it looks like a bow, with a curved top and a straight bottom. It was built using reinforced concrete. This is concrete with strong metal bars inside. This makes the concrete much stronger.
The bridge was not for cars or trains. It was a special pedestrian bridge. The Bridgeport Lamp Chimney Company built it in 1924. They used it to connect their glass factory to a warehouse. The warehouse was on the other side of Simpson Creek. Workers used hand carts to move glass products across the bridge.
Today, the bridge is the only thing left of the old glass factory. It also reminds us of the Master Glass Company that came after it. The bridge stands alone, a cool piece of history.
How the Bridge Was Built
This bridge is about 70 feet 4 inches (21.44 m) long. It is about 8 feet 11.8 inches (2.738 m) wide. The middle part of the bridge is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the deck.
Engineers used special strong metal bars inside the concrete. These bars are called reinforcement. They make the bridge very sturdy. The bars were made by companies like Concrete Steel Company. Other bars came from Cambria Iron Works. These companies had their own secret ways to make the bars. They wanted to make the strongest ones.
Smaller, smooth metal bars were also used. These bars were about 1⁄4 inch (6.4 mm) thick. They helped hold the main parts of the bridge together.
Here are some of the bridge's main parts:
- Arch: The curved top part, 12 by 19 inches (300 by 480 mm) thick.
- Tension ties: The straight bottom part, 9 by 15 inches (230 by 380 mm) thick.
- Deck: The flat surface you walk on, 3 inches (76 mm) thick.
- Verticals: The upright posts connecting the arch and ties, 8 by 8 inches (200 by 200 mm) thick.
Why This Bridge Is Important
The Bridgeport Lamp Chimney Company Bridge was built in 1924. Frank Duff McEnteer and his company built it. He was a very important person in bridge building. He was one of the first to use reinforced concrete for bridges and buildings.
This bridge helps us remember the old glass industry. Many glass factories used to be in the Clarksburg area. They were also all over West Virginia. These companies had a good business because of cheap natural gas. They also had lots of quartz, which is used to make glass. They made everything from bottles to fancy cut glass.
Not much is left of this old industry today. The bridge is a special reminder of that time. It shows how clever engineers were back then. It also shows how important the glass industry was.
