Legacy Finding Aid for Manuscript and Photograph Collections

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Finding aids are narrative guides to archival collections created by the repository to describe the contents of the material. They often provide much more detailed information than can be found in individual catalog records. Contents of finding aids often include short biographies or histories, processing notes, information about the size, scope, and material types included in the collection, guidance on how to navigate the collection, and an index to box and folder contents.

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The following document is a legacy finding aid – a guide which has not been updated recently. Information may be outdated, such as the Historical Society’s contact information or exact box numbers for contents’ location within the collection. Legacy finding aids are a product of their times; language and terms may not reflect the Historical Society’s commitment to culturally sensitive and anti-racist language. This guide is provided in “as is” condition for immediate use by the public. This file will be replaced with an updated version when available.

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The Historical Society of Washington, D.C., is a community-supported educational and research organization that collects, interprets, and shares the history of our nation’s capital. Founded in 1894, it serves a diverse audience through its collections, public programs, exhibits, and publications. THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, D.C. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS FINDING AID

Title: SP 0041 Zack Spratt Washington, D.C. Bridges Collection, 1920-50

Zaccheas “Zack” Spratt (1884-1978) was a carpenter from South Carolina, who, in his retirement, began a study of Washington’s history and topography. He photographed Washington and surrounding areas, wrote notes, and got around using public transportation. (Information from a memoir by Howard Wilcox.)

Scope and Content: The Zack Spratt Washington, D.C. Bridges Collection contains images of bridges of the Washington, D.C. area (over rivers and Rock Creek) and the surrounding roads, landscape and buildings. The oldest photograph was taken in the 1920’s but the majority are clustered in the period 1945-50. The photographs are postcard size and represent about 100 different locations. The bridges photographed are divided into four categories: • Potomac River • Anacostia River • Rock Creek • Other D.C. area bridges, then alphabetized within the category.

Donor: Estate of Zack Spratt, 1979.029

Size: 1.0 cubic ft. (1/2 record storage box)

Restrictions: None

Related Materials: “Zack Spratt: A Memoir by Howard Wilcox”, Privately issued Washington, D.C., 1979. P 1090. SP 0040 Spratt Washington Scenes Photograph Collection, 1920-1960 “Rock Creek’s Bridges” by Zack Spratt in the Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Vol. 53, pp. 101-134. Read before the Society meeting on October 20, 1953.

1 SP 0041 Zack Spratt Washington, D.C. Bridges Collection, 1920-50

Potomac River Bridges ZS2 # Description 01 Street Highway Bridge(old), 2 views, ca. 1950 02 Railroad Bridge, 3 views Ca. 1950 03 Fourteenth Street Highway Bridge/Rochambeau, Memorial, 2 views, ca. 1960 04 Arlington Memoria1 Bridge and Watergate, 13 views ca. 1950 05 Aqueduct Bridge/Georgetown, 9 views looking toward Georgetown,1920’s 06 Aqueduct Bridge, 3 views looking toward Roslyn, 1920’s 07 Key Bridge, 20 views of’ construction early 1920’s 08 Key Bridge, Whitehurst Freeway interchange construction, ca.1950 09 Key Bridge, 14 views ca. 1925 to 1960 10 Chain Bridge(old), 5 views 11 Chain Bridge(new), 20 views in 1940’s and 1950’s

Anacostia Bridges 12 Eleventh Street/Navy Yard Bridge(old), 8 views ca. 1950 13 Pennsylvania Avenue Truss Bridge(old-1890-1900), ca. 1938 14 Pennsylvania Avenue/Sousa Bridge, 6 views ca. 1940, including construct. 15 Pennsylvania Avenue Railroad Bridge, 8 views ca. 1959(?) 16 Benning Road Bridge, 5 views ca. 1940 17 Bladensburg Bridge, 2 views ca. 1940

Rock Creek Bridges 19 Rock Creek Parkway Bridge near L St., 5 views ca. 1950 20 Pennsylvania An. Bridge, 8 views looking south from N St., ca. 1940, 1950 21 Pennsylvania Ave. Bridge, 3 views looking north to N St. ca. 1950 22 M Street Bridge, 2 views looking south to Pennsylvania Ave, ca. 1950 23 M Street Bridge, 6 views looking north ca. 1950 24 M Street Bridge, 3 views looking NE across K Street ca. 1950 25 M Street Bridge, 2 views looking NW across N Street ca. 1950 26 P Street Bridge, 2 views looking south, ca. 1940, 1950 27 P Street Bridge, looking north, ca. 1950 28 Rock Creek Parkway Bridge north of P St., 2 views looking south ca 1950 29 Dumbarton/Q Street Bridge, 6 views ca. 1950 30 Dumbarton/Q Street Bridge, Buffalo entrance sculpture ca. 1945

2 SP 0041 Zack Spratt Washington, D.C. Bridges Collection, 1920-50

31 Connecticut Avenue Taft Bridge, 5 views ca. 1950 32 Connecticut Avenue/Taft Bridge, lion sculptures ca. 1950(?) 33 Calvert Street/Ellington Bridge, 3 views ca. 1940 34 Massachusetts Ave. Bridge; including construction view 35 Pierce Mill Bridge, 5 views ca. 1940 36 Boulder Bridge, 10 views ca. 1940 37 Ross Drive Bridge, 3 views ca. 1940(?) 38 Pebble Dash Bridge, 4 views ca. 1940 39 Cantilever Bridge, 9 views in 1930’s 40 Harvard Street Bridge, 3 views ca. 1954 41 Reilly Spring Bridge, 11 views 1930’s, 1940’s 42 Small suspension bridge, 2 views ca. 1940 43 K Street overpass of Rock Creek Parkway, 2 views ca. 1940 44 Lyons Mill Road Bridge, ca. 1940(7) 45 K Street Bridge over Rock Creek, looking west down K St. past B & O Freight Station, ca. 1950(?) 46 Unidentified bridge near B & O Freight Station, ca. 1950(?) 47 Sixteenth Street Bridge(over Piney Branch Rd) with tiger sculpture 48 Connecticut Ave. Bridge over Woodley-Klingle Road, ca. 1955 49 Military Road(?) interchange construction, 1950’s 50-67 Unidentified automobile bridges over Rock Creek 68-77 Unidentified foot bridges over Rock Creek 78 Weir on Rock Creek; dam at Pierce Mill.

Other D.C. Area Bridges 79 Cabin John Bridge. Macarthur Blvd. across Cabin John Creek; 7 views ca. 1940; Washington Aqueduct plaque. 80 Tidal Basin; Independence Ave. Bridge on North side, 5 views ca. 1950(?) 81 Tidal Basin; outlet bridge on east side; Bureau of Engraving in background; 6 views ca. 1950 82 Tidal Basin; outlet bridge on south side; multiple views ca. 1950 83 Tidal Basin entrance/Channel exit; railroad bridge at west end of Channel ca. 1950 84 T Street Bridge at 5th St. N.E.; 6 views ca. 1950(?), over railroad tracks. 85 C & O Canal, Wisconsin Ave. Bridge; 3 views looking east ca.1945(?) 86 C & O Canal, Wisconsin Ave. Bridge; 5 views looking west ca. 1945(?)

3 SP 0041 Zack Spratt Washington, D.C. Bridges Collection, 1920-50

87 C & O Canal walkways West of Wisconsin Ave.; 4 views 88 C & O Canal; Whitehurst Freeway ramp ca. 1950; Key Bridge 89 George Washington Parkway over entrance to Boundary Channel, lagoon, marina; 9 views ca. 1930-1950 90 Arlington Blvd. Bridge over Jefferson Davis Highway(?), looking east ca. 1950 91 Washington Boulevard Bridge over Boundary Channel(Arlington) 92 Tidal Basin; portion of Fourteenth Street Bridge between Tidal Basin and Channel incl. parallel Railroad Bridge, ornamental lamp, ca. 1920(?). 93 Tidal Basin; outlet bridge on Eastern side, looking S.E., built. 1889, replaced l935(?), description by Spratt., ca. 1920(?). 94 Railroad bridge over C&Q Canal(?) above Georgetown, ca. 1950(?) 95 Railroad bridge west of Georgetown, ca. 1950(?)

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