National Register of Historic Places

Columbia River Bridge

Wenatchee, Chelan County, Washington
Listed
July 15, 1982
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82004198

About this property

The Columbia River Bridge at Wenatchee, Washington, also known as the Old Wenatchee Bridge and W.T. Clark Pipeline Bridge was built by the Washington Bridge Company in 1908, primarily as a means to carry irrigation water pipelines across the Columbia River. It was the first road bridge over the Columbia south of Canada. The bridge is a pin-connected cantilever truss, 1,600 feet (490 m) long, with one 200-foot (61 m) Pratt truss between two 160-foot (49 m) cantilever arms, with 240-foot (73 m) side arms and a 60 feet (18 m) girder span. The bridge was purchased by the Washington highway department for $182,000 for highway use. As originally built, the bridge carried a 20.5-foot (6.2 m) wide timber roadway, with additional ability to carry a street railway. However, the east approach to the bridge was built at a 6% grade, limiting its potential. The bridge was replaced in 1950 by the Senator George Sellar Bridge. The next year the Wenatchee Reclamation District bought the bridge for $1.00, moving the pipes from outside the truss to within. The bridge was opened to foot traffic. In 2007 concerns were raised about the bridge's ability to sustain foot traffic. Repairs were made in 2010. The bridge currently carries pedestrian and bicycle traffic as part of the Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 16, 1982. The bridge was renamed for irrigation canal builder William T. Clark in 2023.

Location

Wenatchee, Chelan County, Washington
47.41516, -120.29486

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

Columbia River Bridge at Wenatchee
Industrial
0.4 mi
U.S. Post Office and Annex
Industrial
0.9 mi
Wenatchee Fire Station #1
Industrial
0.9 mi
Burke-Hill Apartments
Industrial
1 mi
Wenatchee Carnegie Library
Industrial
1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Columbia River Bridge listed on the National Register?

Columbia River Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 15, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Columbia River Bridge?

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

What is the period of significance for Columbia River Bridge?

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

Can I research the history near Columbia River Bridge?

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