National Register of Historic Places

Askew Bridge

Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Listed
March 1, 1973
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
73001590

About this property

The Skew Arch Bridge in Reading, Pennsylvania, also known as the Askew Bridge and nicknamed the Soap and Whiskey Bridge, is an historic skew arch bridge that was completed in 1857. Its design enabled it to carry two tracks of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad (P&R) at an angle over Sixth Street in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania. This bridge was acquired by Conrail after the P&R's demise in 1976 and was transferred to Norfolk Southern Railway in 1999. The bridge was designed in 1856 by Richard Osborne, who submitted a pre-construction model to the company. Workers were partially paid with whiskey and pieces of soap, rather than entirely in cash, leading to the structure's unusual nickname. The main arch of the bridge spans 40 feet (12 m), with two smaller arches spanning the sidewalks on either side. The courses of the arch were constructed from local brownstone in elliptical curves that follow the angle at which the railroad tracks cross the street. As a result, there is no keystone in the arch. In 1951, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission placed a historical marker on the site; in 1973 the bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Pennsylvania

Location

Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania
40.34373, -75.92579

Categories

TRANSPORTATIONARCHITECTURE
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

Curtis and Jones Company Shoe Factory
Industrial
0.3 mi
Wilhelm Mansion and Carriage House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Reading Knitting Mills
Industrial
0.4 mi
Red Men Hall
Industrial
0.4 mi
Trinity Lutheran Church
Industrial
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Askew Bridge listed on the National Register?

Askew Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 1, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Askew Bridge?

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

What is the period of significance for Askew Bridge?

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

Can I research the history near Askew Bridge?

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