The Ponakin Bridge
Item Information
- Title:
- The Ponakin Bridge
- Description:
-
The cast- and wrought-iron Ponakin Bridge (no longer in use, but still standing), spanning the north branch of the Nashua River, was built in 1871. Designed by engineer Simeon S. Post, the Post truss bridge marked the transition from bridges made of wood to those constructed of cast iron and metal. The Atherton Bridge, built in 1870, (still standing with a newer bridge nearby) on Bolton Road is also a Post truss bridge. Designed to support the weight of trains, most of this type were replaced by steel bridges as trains became heavier. The two Lancaster bridges, vast improvements over their predecessors, survived because they were used strictly for highway traffic. There are only 69 other structures from the golden age of iron bridges left in the United States.
- Date:
-
[ca. 1871–2000]
- Format:
-
Photographs
- Location:
- Lancaster Historical Society
- Collection (local):
-
Photo Archives of the Lancaster (MA) Historical Society
- Subjects:
-
Truss bridges
- Places:
-
MassachusettsWorcester (county)Lancaster
- Extent:
- 1 photograph
- Permalink:
- https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/02871k734
- Terms of Use:
-
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This work is licensed for use under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License (CC BY-NC-ND).
