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State Street Bridge (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
Encyclopedia
The State Street Bridge, also known as the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Bridge, is a 1312 feet (399.9 m) concrete, deck arch bridge that spans Pennsylvania Route 230
and Paxton Creek
in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
. The bridge was completed in 1930 and was intended to be the principal entrance into downtown Harrisburg
and the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex
from the east.
The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on June 22, 1988 and was documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in 1997.
burned to ground in 1897, plans were drawn up to improve and expand the park that that surrounds the Capitol building. The plans were for a more impressive Capitol building that would prevent other Pennsylvania cities like Philadelphia from challenging Harrisburg's claim as the seat of the state government. After the land that was necessary for the expansion was acquired in 1916, Arnold Brunner
was hired to design the plans for the construction and landscaping of the new buildings. Planning was interrupted by World War I
.
After the war, in 1919, it was decided to make the bridge a memorial to the armed forces of the United States
and Pennsylvania that had fought in the war. The Pennsylvania General Assembly
passed an act authorizing the construction of the bridge on July 18, 1919. In 1926, William Gehron and Sidney Ross revised the plans that Brunner had made for the bridge in 1921 after his death in 1925. Changes they made included a more massive bridge and taller, "more streamlined" pylons.
Construction began on the bridge in September 1925. The General Assembly appropriated $361,000 ($ in present-day terms) for the bridge in the 1927 and 1929 sessions of the assembly. The city of Harrisburg also contributed $300,000 ($ in present-day terms). The bridge was completed on August 22, 1930.
The bridge was renovated in 1955 by J. Richard Nissley, who added a 36 feet (11 m) steel girder span on the bridge's east end. The road deck and sidewalks were replaced in 1957. The State Street Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 22, 1988.
and the other sigifying the United States Navy
. Each eagle weighs approximately 300 short tons (272.2 MT) and is 21 feet (6.4 m) tall. The four faces of the pylons each have the year of one of eight wars that United States had participated in up until World War I.
The keystone
of each arch of the bridge has a carving of a weapon that was developed and used during World War I.
Although never built, plans for the bridge included a museum built under the western end of the bridge. The museum was to included Pennsylvania flags that were used in battle and a list of all the Pennsylvanians who fought in World War I.
Pennsylvania Route 230
Pennsylvania Route 230 is a state route in central Pennsylvania. Its western terminus is at an intersection with U.S. Route 22 in Harrisburg. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with Pennsylvania Route 283 near Salunga.-Route description:...
and Paxton Creek
Paxton Creek
Paxton Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania in the United States.The Paxton Creek watershed covers an area of and joins the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg....
in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
. The bridge was completed in 1930 and was intended to be the principal entrance into downtown Harrisburg
Downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Downtown Harrisburg, is the central core business and government center which surrounds the focal point of Market Square, and serves a the regional center for the greater metropolitan area of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA....
and the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex
Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex
The Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex, located in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is the administrative hub of the government of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. At the center of the complex is the State Capitol with its gilt and marble halls, vast rotunda, murals and sculpture, sparkling...
from the east.
The bridge 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...
on June 22, 1988 and was documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in 1997.
History
After the Pennsylvania State Capitol buildingPennsylvania State Capitol
The Pennsylvania State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is in downtown Harrisburg. It was designed in 1902 in a Beaux-Arts style with Renaissance themes throughout...
burned to ground in 1897, plans were drawn up to improve and expand the park that that surrounds the Capitol building. The plans were for a more impressive Capitol building that would prevent other Pennsylvania cities like Philadelphia from challenging Harrisburg's claim as the seat of the state government. After the land that was necessary for the expansion was acquired in 1916, Arnold Brunner
Arnold Brunner
Arnold William Brunner was an American architect who was born and died in New York City. Brunner was educated in New York and in Manchester, England. He attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he studied under William R. Ware. Early in his career, he worked in the architectural...
was hired to design the plans for the construction and landscaping of the new buildings. Planning was interrupted by World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
After the war, in 1919, it was decided to make the bridge a memorial to the armed forces of the United States
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
and Pennsylvania that had fought in the war. The Pennsylvania General Assembly
Pennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
passed an act authorizing the construction of the bridge on July 18, 1919. In 1926, William Gehron and Sidney Ross revised the plans that Brunner had made for the bridge in 1921 after his death in 1925. Changes they made included a more massive bridge and taller, "more streamlined" pylons.
Construction began on the bridge in September 1925. The General Assembly appropriated $361,000 ($ in present-day terms) for the bridge in the 1927 and 1929 sessions of the assembly. The city of Harrisburg also contributed $300,000 ($ in present-day terms). The bridge was completed on August 22, 1930.
The bridge was renovated in 1955 by J. Richard Nissley, who added a 36 feet (11 m) steel girder span on the bridge's east end. The road deck and sidewalks were replaced in 1957. The State Street Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 22, 1988.
Design
Two 145 feet (44.2 m) tall and 16 feet (4.9 m) wide pylons flank of the western end of the bridge. Each pylon has an eagle perched on it, one signifying the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and the other sigifying the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. Each eagle weighs approximately 300 short tons (272.2 MT) and is 21 feet (6.4 m) tall. The four faces of the pylons each have the year of one of eight wars that United States had participated in up until World War I.
The keystone
Keystone (architecture)
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight. This makes a keystone very important structurally...
of each arch of the bridge has a carving of a weapon that was developed and used during World War I.
Although never built, plans for the bridge included a museum built under the western end of the bridge. The museum was to included Pennsylvania flags that were used in battle and a list of all the Pennsylvanians who fought in World War I.
See also
- List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania