Mill Dam Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mill Dam Bridge |
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New York Bicentennial Commission historical marker in Centerport, New York marking the Mill Dam Bridge
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| Carries | Mill Dam Road |
| Crosses | Centerport Harbor |
| Locale | Centerport, Suffolk County, New York |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Prestressed concrete |
| History | |
| Constructed by | Sylvanus Townsend |
| Opened | 1774 |
| Rebuilt | 2005 |
The Mill Dam Bridge is a bridge in Centerport, New York. It carries Mill Dam Road across a muddy area of Centerport Harbor. This area is affected by the ocean's tides. The bridge is on the North Shore of Long Island.
This bridge separates the open water of the harbor from a calmer area called the Mill Pond. The Mill Pond is formed by special gates that control the water flow.
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History of the Mill Dam Bridge
The very first mill and dam were built in 1674. This was south of where the bridge is today. The first bridge at the current spot was built in 1774. A person named Sylvanus Townsend built it.
The old mill was taken apart in 1915. Some parts of it were used to build the nearby William Kissam Vanderbilt II estate. This estate is now known as the Vanderbilt Museum.
Bridge Upgrades and Awards
The current Mill Dam Bridge has a strong concrete center. It also has tide gates that were built in 2005. These parts replaced older sections from 1936.
The project to replace the bridge won an award in 2005. It received the Long Island Project of the Year Award. This award came from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC).
Bridge Closure and Reopening
The bridge was closed to cars in October 2007. This was because the old road leading to the new bridge was falling apart.
In February 2008, workers found something amazing. They were fixing the road and dug up a huge gear. This gear weighed 3000 pounds (about 1400 kilograms). People believe it was installed at the old mill in 1848.
The bridge finally reopened to traffic on June 27, 2008.
Grist Mill Park
In 2001, the town of Huntington, New York opened Grist Mill Park. This park is right next to the west end of the Mill Dam Bridge. It used to be the site of a restaurant and an office building. These buildings were badly damaged in a fire a few years before.
The Centerport-Greenlawn Historical Society helped create the park. They gave the park its main feature: a historic gristmill millstone. A gristmill is a mill that grinds grain into flour.
