National Register of Historic Places

Blackledge River Railroad Bridge

Colchester, New London County, Connecticut
Listed
July 30, 1986
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
86002109

About this property

The Blackledge River Railroad Bridge is a Warren truss bridge that was built on the site of an earlier railroad bridge. The original bridge was completed and opened by August 3, 1877, likely built by the Colchester Railway Company. It was part of the 3.59 miles (5.78 km) of track from Colchester, Connecticut, to Turnerville (now Amston, Connecticut). The line was leased to the Boston and New York Air-Line Railroad, which reported improvement in 1879 and a new 110-foot-long (34 m) iron bridge by 1881. The line was leased to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1882. The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad dominated the region and petitioned for changes to the Air Line; the approval came on July 7, 1911. The historic Blackledge River Railroad Bridge was constructed around 1912 as an improved version of the previous bridge. The new 108-foot-long (33 m) bridge integrated the previous abutments into the design and was elevated a further 5 feet (1.5 m) above the Blackledge River. It was abandoned in the 1960s and sold to the Connecticut Department of Transportation. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 31, 1986. The bridge is now located in Airline State Park. By 2007, a wooden pedestrian bridge was built atop the railroad bridge and crosses over the Blackledge River.

Location

Colchester, New London County, Connecticut
41.58405, -72.42205

Categories

ENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATION
National Register nomination ›
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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Nearby Historic Sites

River Road Stone Arch Railroad Bridge
Industrial
0.3 mi
Lyman Viaduct
Industrial
1.8 mi
Rapallo Viaduct
Industrial
2.5 mi
Comstock's Bridge
Industrial
2.5 mi
Champion, Henry, House
Industrial
2.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Blackledge River Railroad Bridge listed on the National Register?

Blackledge River Railroad Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 30, 1986.

What type of historic resource is Blackledge River Railroad Bridge?

Blackledge River Railroad Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Blackledge River Railroad Bridge?

The period of significance for Blackledge River Railroad Bridge is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Blackledge River Railroad Bridge?

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