National Register of Historic Places

High Steel Bridge

Shelton, Mason County, Washington
Listed
July 15, 1982
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82004265

About this property

The High Steel Bridge is a truss arch bridge that spans the south fork of the Skokomish River, on National Forest Service road #2340 in Mason County, Washington, near the city of Shelton. The bridge is 685 feet (209 m) long, and its deck is 375 feet (114 m) above the river. Built in 1929, the bridge originally carried a rail line whose construction made logging operations possible in new areas of the Olympic Peninsula. Along with the Vance Creek Bridge, it was one of two similar bridges built for the rail line by the Simpson Logging Company, which contracted its construction to the American Bridge Company. At the time of the bridges' construction, new rail lines for logging were becoming increasingly cost-prohibitive, and most companies began using trucks in their place. The expense of rail led to the bridges' unusual steel construction; while most logging bridges were temporary wooden structures, the Simpson Logging Company felt that only a permanent bridge would justify their investment. The bridge was converted to a roadway in 1964, though it continues to be used for logging. On July 16, 1982, the bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Location

Shelton, Mason County, Washington
47.36782, -123.28006

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

Vance Creek Bridge
Industrial
3 mi
Cushman No. 1 Hydroelectric Power Plant
Listed
4.5 mi
Cushman No. 2 Hydroelectric Power Plant
Listed
4.8 mi
Mason County Courthouse
Industrial
13.4 mi
Shelton Public Library and Town Hall
Industrial
13.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was High Steel Bridge listed on the National Register?

High Steel Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 15, 1982.

What type of historic resource is High Steel Bridge?

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

What is the period of significance for High Steel Bridge?

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

Can I research the history near High Steel Bridge?

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