Edmund Pettus Bridge
National Historic Landmark

Edmund Pettus Bridge

Selma, Dallas County, Alabama
Listed
February 27, 2013
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
13000281

About this property

The Edmund Pettus Bridge carries U.S. Route 80 Business (US 80 Bus.) across the Alabama River in Selma, Alabama, United States. Built in 1940, it is named after Edmund Pettus, a former Confederate brigadier general, U.S. senator, and state-level leader ("Grand Dragon") of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan. According to Smithsonian, "The bridge was named for him, in part, to memorialize his history of restraining and imprisoning African-Americans in their quest for freedom after the Civil War". The bridge is a steel through arch bridge with a central span of 250 feet (76 m). Nine large concrete arches support the bridge and roadway on its east side. The Edmund Pettus Bridge was the site of the conflict of Bloody Sunday on March 7, 1965, when police attacked Civil Rights Movement demonstrators with horses, billy clubs, and tear gas as they were attempting to march to the state capital, Montgomery. The marchers crossed the bridge again on March 21 and walked to the Capitol building. The bridge was declared a National Historic Landmark on February 27, 2013.

Location

Selma, Dallas County, Alabama
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Questions about this property

When was Edmund Pettus Bridge listed on the National Register?

Edmund Pettus Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 27, 2013.

What type of historic resource is Edmund Pettus Bridge?

Edmund Pettus Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Edmund Pettus Bridge a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Edmund Pettus Bridge has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Edmund Pettus Bridge?

The period of significance for Edmund Pettus Bridge is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1940.

Can I research the history near Edmund Pettus Bridge?

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