Louis Wernwag
Encyclopedia
Louis Wernwag was a prominent bridge builder in the United States in the early 19th century.
in the mountains, who directed his attention to the study of astronomy
, natural history
, and other scientific subjects. In 1786 he made his way to Amsterdam
and thence to Philadelphia.
s. Soon afterward he began to build power mills and bridges. While conducting this business he purchased land containing large quantities of white oak
and pine
timber
in New Jersey
, from which he got out, about 1809, the keel
for the first U. S. frigate
built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
, on the road between Philadelphia and New York City, and the next year one across Frankford Creek
at Bridgeburg. This was a cantilever type of drawbridge that had a center panel which could be raised to allow vessels with tall masts through. His third bridge of wood was built across the Schuylkill River
in 1812 at Philadelphia. This structure, known as the "Colossus of Fairmount
," consisted of a single arch, the span of which was 340 feet. In consideration of its length of span (it being the longest ever erected), solidity, and strength, the bridge was regarded as one of the wonders of the world. (It was destroyed by fire September 1, 1838.)
In 1813 he built a bridge across the Delaware River
in New Hope, Pennsylvania
which was 32 feet wide and had two wagon lanes and two lanes for pedestrians. He constructed the first Conowingo Bridge
in 1818 and rebuilt Theodore Burr
's Port Deposit Bridge
in 1824, both crossings of the Susquehanna River
in Maryland
. His last bridge was across the Potomac River
at Harper's Ferry for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
, and was built in 1833.
Over his 27-year career, he built 29 bridges. These are listed in the Engineering News of August 15, 1885, p. 99.
, where he took an interest in and charge of the Phoenix Nail Works, and there invented the first machine for cutting and heading spikes from four to seven inches in length. The other machinery was also remodelled and greatly improved by him. He purchased coal
lands near Pottsville, which led to his experimenting toward the use of anthracite coal. At first he found it almost impossible to ignite it, but he discovered that, by closing the furnace-doors and introducing air from beneath, combustion was possible. He was sanguine of its ultimate use for fuel, and while the Philadelphians drove from the city the person that offered to sell it, believing he offered stone for coal, he invented and used in his own residence a stove for burning it.
and dam at Philadelphia were erected in accordance with his plans. In 1819 he moved to Conowingo, Maryland
, where he built a bridge and double saw mill, and prepared the timber for many bridges. Five years later, he moved to Harper's Ferry and purchased the Isle of Virginius, where he continued his business of preparing timber for bridges.
Early life
On leaving school, in order to evade military service, he was secreted by a shepherdShepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
in the mountains, who directed his attention to the study of astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, and other scientific subjects. In 1786 he made his way to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and thence to Philadelphia.
America
His earliest venture in this country was the building of a machine for making whetstoneWhetstone
Whetstone may refer to:* Whetstone, a sharpening stone used for knives and other cutting tools* Whetstone , a benchmark for measuring computing power* Operation Whetstone, a nuclear test program in the 1960s- Places :United Kingdom...
s. Soon afterward he began to build power mills and bridges. While conducting this business he purchased land containing large quantities of white oak
White oak
Quercus alba, the white oak, is one of the pre-eminent hardwoods of eastern North America. It is a long-lived oak of the Fagaceae family, native to eastern North America and found from southern Quebec west to eastern Minnesota and south to northern Florida and eastern Texas. Specimens have been...
and pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, from which he got out, about 1809, the keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
for the first U. S. frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
Bridges
In 1810 he erected a bridge across Neshaminy CreekNeshaminy Creek
Neshaminy Creek is a stream that runs southeast through Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Neshaminy Creek proper rises south of the borough of Chalfont, where North Branch Neshaminy Creek and West Branch Neshaminy Creek meet. Neshaminy Creek flows lastly between Bristol Township and Bensalem Township...
, on the road between Philadelphia and New York City, and the next year one across Frankford Creek
Frankford Creek
Frankford Creek is a minor tributary of the Delaware River in southeast Pennsylvania. The stream originates as Tookany Creek at Hill Crest in Cheltenham Township and meanders eastward, then southeastward, throughout Cheltenham Township, until a sharp bend near the Philadelphia border at Lawncrest,...
at Bridgeburg. This was a cantilever type of drawbridge that had a center panel which could be raised to allow vessels with tall masts through. His third bridge of wood was built across the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
in 1812 at Philadelphia. This structure, known as the "Colossus of Fairmount
Colossus Bridge
The Colossus bridge was a record setting timber bridge across the Schuylkill River near Philadelphia. It was built in 1812 by Louis Wernwag, and was considered his finest bridge design...
," consisted of a single arch, the span of which was 340 feet. In consideration of its length of span (it being the longest ever erected), solidity, and strength, the bridge was regarded as one of the wonders of the world. (It was destroyed by fire September 1, 1838.)
In 1813 he built a bridge across the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
in New Hope, Pennsylvania
New Hope, Pennsylvania
New Hope, formerly known as Coryell's Ferry, is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 2,528 at the 2010 census. The borough lies on the west bank of the Delaware River at its confluence with Aquetong Creek. A two-lane bridge carries automobile and foot traffic across the...
which was 32 feet wide and had two wagon lanes and two lanes for pedestrians. He constructed the first Conowingo Bridge
Conowingo Bridge
Several incarnations of the Conowingo Bridge crossed the Susquehanna River at the original location of Conowingo, Maryland, USA, about two miles upstream of the Conowingo Dam, which replaced it.- History :...
in 1818 and rebuilt Theodore Burr
Theodore Burr
Theodore Burr was an inventor from Torringford, Connecticut, who was credited with the Burr Arch Truss bridge design and was cousin of vice president Aaron Burr. Theodore Burr came to Oxford, New York in 1792. By 1794, he had built a grist mill , and a dam to power the mill...
's Port Deposit Bridge
Port Deposit Bridge
The Port Deposit Bridge was the earliest bridge crossing of the Susquehanna River below Columbia, Pennsylvania, providing the first reliable link between the northern and southern United States. The bridge was also the fifth and last of Theodore Burr's Susquehanna crossings...
in 1824, both crossings of the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. His last bridge was across the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
at Harper's Ferry for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
, and was built in 1833.
Over his 27-year career, he built 29 bridges. These are listed in the Engineering News of August 15, 1885, p. 99.
Nails and Coal
In 1813 he moved to Phoenixville, PennsylvaniaPhoenixville, Pennsylvania
Phoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of French Creek with the Schuylkill River. The population is 16,440 as of the 2010 Census.- History :...
, where he took an interest in and charge of the Phoenix Nail Works, and there invented the first machine for cutting and heading spikes from four to seven inches in length. The other machinery was also remodelled and greatly improved by him. He purchased coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
lands near Pottsville, which led to his experimenting toward the use of anthracite coal. At first he found it almost impossible to ignite it, but he discovered that, by closing the furnace-doors and introducing air from beneath, combustion was possible. He was sanguine of its ultimate use for fuel, and while the Philadelphians drove from the city the person that offered to sell it, believing he offered stone for coal, he invented and used in his own residence a stove for burning it.
Water works
The canals of the Schuylkill Navigation Company, some of the first in the United States, were partially constructed by him, and the Fairmount Water WorksFairmount Water Works
The Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was Philadelphia's second municipal waterworks. Designed in 1812 by Frederick Graff and built between 1812 and 1872, it operated until 1909, winning praise for its design and becoming a popular tourist attraction...
and dam at Philadelphia were erected in accordance with his plans. In 1819 he moved to Conowingo, Maryland
Conowingo, Maryland
Conowingo is a small community in western Cecil County, Maryland, USA.Conowingo is a Susquehannock word for "at the rapids".Conowingo was originally located on the eastern bank of the Susquehanna River at the confluence of the Conowingo Creek with the river...
, where he built a bridge and double saw mill, and prepared the timber for many bridges. Five years later, he moved to Harper's Ferry and purchased the Isle of Virginius, where he continued his business of preparing timber for bridges.