Sixth Street Railroad Bridge
Encyclopedia
Sixth Street Railroad Bridge is a historic railroad bridge spanning the Ohio River
at Parkersburg
, Wood County, West Virginia
and extending into Washington County, Ohio
. It was built between 1869 and 1871, and used 50,000 yards of stone for the 53 piers. When built, it was the longest bridge of its type in the world. The steel structure atop the piers was rebuilt between about 1914 and 1917, and one span was rebuilt in 1972. When listed, it was owned by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982.
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
at Parkersburg
Parkersburg, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,099 people, 14,467 households, and 8,767 families residing in the city. In 2006 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Parkersburg's population had decreased 4.4% to 31,755. The population density was 2,800.5 people per square mile . There were 16,100 housing...
, Wood County, West Virginia
Wood County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 87,986 people, 36,275 households, and 24,884 families residing in the county. The population density was 240 people per square mile . There were 39,785 housing units at an average density of 108 per square mile...
and extending into Washington County, Ohio
Washington County, Ohio
Washington County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 61,778. Its county seat is Marietta. The county, the oldest in the state, is named for George Washington. Washington County is included in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, West Virginia-Ohio...
. It was built between 1869 and 1871, and used 50,000 yards of stone for the 53 piers. When built, it was the longest bridge of its type in the world. The steel structure atop the piers was rebuilt between about 1914 and 1917, and one span was rebuilt in 1972. When listed, it was owned by 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 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...
in 1982.
External links
- Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Parkersburg Bridge, Ohio River, Parkersburg, Wood, WV: 12 photos, 10 data pages, and 2 photo caption pages at Historic American Building Survey