Main Street Bridge (Rochester, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Main Street Bridge
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Main Street Bridge in 1987
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Main St. at Genesee River, Rochester, New York |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1857 |
| Architect | multiple |
| MPS | Stone Arch Bridge TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 84000303 |
| Added to NRHP | October 11, 1984 |
The Main Street Bridge is a really old stone bridge in Rochester, New York. It crosses over the Genesee River. This bridge was built way back in 1857. It has five big, curved arches that help it stand strong over the water. Each arch is quite wide, ranging from about 30 to 42 feet across.
The Story of Main Street Bridge
Earlier Bridges on This Spot
The very first bridge here was built between 1810 and 1812. It was made of wood. To get onto it from the lower west side, people had to use a ramp.
This first wooden bridge was replaced in 1824. Soon after, buildings started to appear along the bridge itself! This was allowed because boats couldn't travel on the river at this exact spot.
In 1827, a market was built on the north side of the bridge. It was described as having:
- an open area for selling vegetables
- a raised walkway, like a sidewalk
- a covered meat market with a wide path in the middle
By 1830, almost the entire north side of the bridge was covered with buildings. Most of these were wooden shops. There was also a four-story building called the Globe Building. It housed small workshops and even had waterwheels underneath it! The south side of the bridge stayed open.
Sadly, the wooden buildings were destroyed by a fire in January 1834. They were rebuilt, but then a big flood in October of the next year washed them away again! The flood also damaged the bridge, so a new one was needed.
Work on a new bridge started in 1837. They first thought about building a stone bridge, but decided not to. However, they did build two stone supports. The bridge was finished by September 1838. Soon, its north side was again filled with one- and two-story wooden shops, mostly selling clothes.
The Current Stone Bridge
The building of the stone bridge we see today began in September 1855. It officially opened in August 1857, even though there was still more work to do.
Right away, new stone shops were built on the north side of the bridge. These shops were supported by parts of the bridge and river walls. The bridge was made wider on its south side in 1861 and 1862. Buildings then started to appear on the south side in 1865. However, all these buildings on the bridge were removed in the mid-1960s.
The Main Street Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. This means it's recognized as an important historical landmark.
