National Register of Historic Places

Skilton Road Bridge

Watertown, Litchfield County, Connecticut
Listed
December 10, 1991
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
91001744

About this property

The Skilton Road Bridge is a historic stone arch bridge, carrying Skilton Road across the Nonewaug River in Northwestern Watertown, Connecticut. The bridge was built in 1865–66, and is a rare well-preserved example of a mid-19th century stone bridge. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. The Skilton Road Bridge is located in a rural-residential area of Northwestern Watertown, spanning the Nonewaug River between Hinman Road and Hickory Lane. The bridge has an overall length of 35 feet (11 m), with a single arch spanning 20 feet (6.1 m). It is made of dry laid local stone, and is built on a stone ledge on one side and a stone abutment on the other. The stones which form the barrel of the arch are roughly worked, while those filling the spandrels show little evidence of work. The arch is a slightly asymmetrical segmented arch, probably due to the difficulties involved in working at the site. The bridge is 16 feet (4.9 m) wide, and carries a single lane of traffic. The bridge was built either in 1865–66, after the town voted in 1865 to fund its construction; Skilton Road was at the time the major route between Watertown and Bethlehem. Stone, a more expensive construction material than wood, was probably chosen because of its longer lifespan, and because a mill dam just upstream (now breached) whose breach would have caused flooding that would endanger a wooden bridge. This bridge is fairly typical of mid-19th century stone bridges, which were once quite numerous in the state. National Register of Historic Places listings in Litchfield County, Connecticut List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut

Location

Watertown, Litchfield County, Connecticut
41.62919, -73.15864

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

Bryan, Roderick, House
Industrial
1.8 mi
Watertown Center Historic District
Listed
2.6 mi
Bethlehem Green Historic District
Listed
2.7 mi
Bellamy, Joseph, House
Industrial
2.8 mi
Martin, Caleb, House
Industrial
3.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Skilton Road Bridge listed on the National Register?

Skilton Road Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 10, 1991.

What type of historic resource is Skilton Road Bridge?

Skilton Road Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Skilton Road Bridge?

The period of significance for Skilton Road Bridge is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Skilton Road Bridge?

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