Carrollton Viaduct
| Carrollton Viaduct | |
|---|---|
Carrollton Viaduct in 1971
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| Carries | Railroad |
| Crosses | Gwynns Falls |
| Locale | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Owner | CSX Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Arch bridge |
| Material | Granite |
| Total length | 312 feet (95 m) |
| Height | 65 feet (20 m) |
| Longest span | 80 feet (24 m) |
| Clearance below | 51 feet 9 inches (15.8 m) |
| History | |
| Construction begin | 1828 |
| Opened |
1829 |
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Carrollton Viaduct
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 Carrollton Viaduct
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| Location | Gwynn's Falls near Carroll Park, Baltimore, Maryland |
| Coordinates | 39°16′31.5″N 76°39′17.6″W / 39.275417°N 76.654889°WCoordinates: 39°16′31.5″N 76°39′17.6″W / 39.275417°N 76.654889°W |
| Built | 1829 |
| Architect | James Lloyd; Caspar Wever |
| NRHP Reference # | 71001032 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | November 11, 1971 |
| Designated NHL | November 11, 1971 |
1829
The Carrollton Viaduct, located over Gwynns Falls near Carroll Park in Baltimore, Maryland, is the first stone masonry bridge built for railroad use in the United States.
The bridge is currently one of the world's oldest railroad bridges still in use for rail traffic, carrying loads far greater than originally envisioned. It was named after Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence and a director of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, who laid the cornerstone on July 4, 1828. As he laid the first stone he said, "I consider this among the most important acts of my life, second only to my signing the Declaration of Independence." Builder Caspar Wever and designer James Lloyd completed the structure for the railroad in November 1829, at an officially listed cost of $58,106.73. The actual cost of the construction may have been as high as $100,000.
The bridge, 312 feet (95 m) in length, rises from its foundations about 65 feet (20 m). It is 51 feet 9 inches (15.8 m) above Gwynns Falls. It consists of a full-centered arch with a clear span length of 80 feet (24 m) over the stream, and a space for two railroad tracks on its deck. To provide an underpass for a wagon road, an arched passageway, 16 feet (5 m) in width, was built through one of the masonry-walled approaches. Originally planned as one arch of 40 feet (12 m) chord, the dimensions were enlarged to quiet the concern of the proprietor of the mills located immediately above the bridge site, who feared that 40 feet would be insufficient if the stream was flooded. The heavy granite blocks which form the arches and exterior walls were procured from Ellicott's Mills and Port Deposit. A temporary wooden framework supporting the central span held 1,500 tons (1,360 tonnes) of this stone during construction. A white cornerstone at one end of the bridge bears the inscription "James Lloyd of Maryland, Builder A.D. 1829."
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Wikipedia