Patterson Viaduct
Encyclopedia
The Patterson Viaduct, heavily damaged by a flood
in 1866, spanned the Patapsco River
at Ilchester, Maryland
. Built from May to December 1829, the viaduct
was part of the Old Main Line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
. It was constructed in the first building phase of the railroad, which extended from Baltimore, Maryland to Ellicott's Mills
. The Patterson, the third bridge built for the Baltimore and Ohio, was similar in construction to the Carrollton Viaduct
. Designed by Caspar Wever, it was built under the supervision of John McCartney, one of his assistants. McCartney received the contract to build the Thomas Viaduct
as a result of his successful completion of the Patterson contract.
The remains of the Patterson Viaduct stand on the east and west banks of the Patapsco River
just south of the present railroad bridge. The bridge rose about 43 feet (13 m) above its foundations. It had four graduated arches — two of 55 feet chord
(17 m) each and two of 20 feet (6 m) chord each. The smaller arches were introduced for the accommodation of two county roadways, one on each side of the river. The viaduct, constructed of granite
blocks, was approximately 360 feet (110 m) in length. The exterior surfaces of the granite blocks were undressed, or rusticated
.
The viaduct was almost totally destroyed in an 1866 flood. A single-span Bollman Truss
built into the west abutment in 1869 incorporated the original roadway arch and upstream wing wall
. The Bollman design was supplanted by another bridge before the railroad was realigned about 400 feet (120 m) upstream in 1902–1903 with the opening of the Illchester Tunnel. Today, all that remains at the original crossing is the single masonry roadway arch of the 1829 construction on the west bank and the stone abutment on the east bank. In 2006 a cable-stayed
footbridge, with a design that echoes a Bollman Bridge, was added atop the abutments.
The Patterson Viaduct Ruins were listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on June 3, 1976.
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
in 1866, spanned the Patapsco River
Patapsco River
The Patapsco River is a river in central Maryland which flows into Chesapeake Bay. The river's tidal portion forms the harbor for the city of Baltimore...
at Ilchester, Maryland
Ilchester, Maryland
Ilchester is an unincorporated community in Howard County, Maryland. It was named after the village of Ilchester in England.-History:Located about southeast of Ellicott City, Ilchester was settled by the Ellicott family in the late 18th century...
. Built from May to December 1829, the viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
was part of the Old Main Line of 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...
. It was constructed in the first building phase of the railroad, which extended from Baltimore, Maryland to Ellicott's Mills
Ellicott City, Maryland
Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The population was 65,834 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Howard County...
. The Patterson, the third bridge built for the Baltimore and Ohio, was similar in construction to the Carrollton Viaduct
Carrollton Viaduct
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....
. Designed by Caspar Wever, it was built under the supervision of John McCartney, one of his assistants. McCartney received the contract to build the Thomas Viaduct
Thomas Viaduct
The Thomas Viaduct spans the Patapsco River and Patapsco Valley between Relay and Elkridge, Maryland, USA. It is the first multi-span masonry railroad bridge in the United States to be built on a curve...
as a result of his successful completion of the Patterson contract.
The remains of the Patterson Viaduct stand on the east and west banks of the Patapsco River
Patapsco River
The Patapsco River is a river in central Maryland which flows into Chesapeake Bay. The river's tidal portion forms the harbor for the city of Baltimore...
just south of the present railroad bridge. The bridge rose about 43 feet (13 m) above its foundations. It had four graduated arches — two of 55 feet chord
Chord (geometry)
A chord of a circle is a geometric line segment whose endpoints both lie on the circumference of the circle.A secant or a secant line is the line extension of a chord. More generally, a chord is a line segment joining two points on any curve, such as but not limited to an ellipse...
(17 m) each and two of 20 feet (6 m) chord each. The smaller arches were introduced for the accommodation of two county roadways, one on each side of the river. The viaduct, constructed of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
blocks, was approximately 360 feet (110 m) in length. The exterior surfaces of the granite blocks were undressed, or rusticated
Rustication (architecture)
thumb|upright|Two different styles of rustication in the [[Palazzo Medici-Riccardi]] in [[Florence]].In classical architecture rustication is an architectural feature that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared block masonry surfaces called ashlar...
.
The viaduct was almost totally destroyed in an 1866 flood. A single-span Bollman Truss
Bollman Truss Railroad Bridge
The Bollman Truss Railroad Bridge at Savage, Maryland is the sole surviving example of a revolutionary design in the history of American bridge engineering. The double-span truss bridge is one of the oldest standing iron railroad bridges in the United States. It was the first successful all-metal...
built into the west abutment in 1869 incorporated the original roadway arch and upstream wing wall
Wing wall
A wing wall is a smaller wall attached or next to a larger wall or structure.-Bridges:In a bridge, the wing walls are adjacent to the abutments and act as retaining walls.They are generally constructed of the same material as those of abutments...
. The Bollman design was supplanted by another bridge before the railroad was realigned about 400 feet (120 m) upstream in 1902–1903 with the opening of the Illchester Tunnel. Today, all that remains at the original crossing is the single masonry roadway arch of the 1829 construction on the west bank and the stone abutment on the east bank. In 2006 a cable-stayed
Cable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns , with cables supporting the bridge deck....
footbridge, with a design that echoes a Bollman Bridge, was added atop the abutments.
The Patterson Viaduct Ruins were listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on June 3, 1976.
External links
- Maryland Historical Trust: National Register Bridge Tour - Patterson Viaduct. Link is a Javascript tour of Maryland bridges on the National Register. Please use the links to find the page about the Patterson Viaduct.