HISTORIC HIGHWAY BRIDGES IN MARYLAND: 1631-1960: HISTORIC CONTEXT REPORT Prepared for: Maryland State Highway Administration Maryland State Department of Transportation 707 North Calvert Street Baltimore, Maryland 21202 Prepared by: P.A.C. Spero & Company 40 West Chesapeake Avenue, Suite 412 Baltimore, Maryland 21204 and Louis Berger & Associates 1001 East Broad Street, Suite 220 Richmond, Virginia 23219 July 1995 Revised October 1995 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................1 II. MARYLAND TRANSPORTATION THROUGH FOUR CENTURIES ...........................3 A. The Influence of opologyT and Geology .......................................................3 B. The Early Transportation Network, 1631-1800 ..............................................3 1. The Early and Continuing Importance of Waterways ............................6 2. Early Roadways, 1631-1700 .....................................................................7 3. Colonial and Early National Transportation, 1700-1800 ........................9 C. Maryland Transportation Transformed, 1800-1900 .....................................15 1. Turnpikes and Turnpike Bridges ...........................................................17 4. The National Road ..................................................................................20 5. Maryland Canals: C&O and C&D ...........................................................21 6. The B&O Railroad and Maryland’s Bridges ..........................................22 7. The Road Network and the 1899 Report on Highways ........................25 D. Modern Transportation in Maryland, 1900-1960 .........................................28 1. State Aid and Creation of the State Roads Commission ....................28 2. Road Improvements, 1900-1960 ............................................................29 3. Bridge Standardization and Roadway Planning Studies ....................32 III. TIMBER BRIDGES ...................................................................................................36 A. Historical Development .................................................................................36 E. Timber Bridges in Maryland .........................................................................44 F. Conclusion .....................................................................................................47 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) IV. STONE ARCH BRIDGES .........................................................................................49 A. Historical Development .................................................................................49 G. Stone Arch Bridges in Maryland ..................................................................53 1. Stone Arch Roadway and Turnpike Bridges ........................................57 2. Stone Arch Railroad Bridges .................................................................60 3. Other Significant StoneArch Bridges ..................................................62 H. Conclusion .....................................................................................................64 V. METAL TRUSS BRIDGES .........................................................................................65 A. Historical Development .................................................................................65 1. 5.1.1 The Pratt Truss ...............................................................................77 8. 5.1.2 The Warren Truss ...........................................................................80 9. 5.1.3 The Bowstring Arch-Truss ............................................................81 10. 5.1.4 The Bollman Truss .........................................................................82 11. 5.1.5 The Wichert Truss ..........................................................................83 12. 5.1.6 Post-1900 Patterns in Truss Fabrication and Use ......................84 I. Metal Truss Bridges in Maryland .................................................................85 J. Conclusion .....................................................................................................92 VI. MOVABLE BRIDGES ...............................................................................................94 A. Historical Development .................................................................................94 1. Swing Bridges .........................................................................................99 2. Bascule Bridges ....................................................................................100 3. Vertical Lift Bridges ..............................................................................102 4. Retractile Bridges .................................................................................103 5. Pontoon Bridges ...................................................................................103 K. Moveable Bridges in Maryland ...................................................................104 L. Conclusion ...................................................................................................108 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) VII. METAL GIRDER BRIDGES ...................................................................................110 A. Historical Development ...............................................................................100 M. Metal Girder Bridges in Maryland ..............................................................118 N. Conclusion ...................................................................................................121 VIII. METAL SUSPENSION, ARCH, AND CANTILEVER BRIDGES ..........................122 A. Historical Development: Metal Suspension Bridges ...............................122 O. Metal Suspension Bridges in Maryland .....................................................127 1. Early Suspension Bridges ...................................................................127 2. Swinging Footbridges ..........................................................................129 3. The First Chesapeake Bay Bridge .......................................................130 P. Metal Suspension Bridges Conclusion ....................................................132 Q. Historical Development: Metal Arch Bridges ............................................133 R. Metal Arch Bridges in Maryland .................................................................139 S. Metal Arch Bridges Conclusion .................................................................143 T. Cantilever Bridges: The Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge ........145 U. Cantilever Bridges Conclusion ..................................................................147 IX. CONCRETE BRIDGES ...........................................................................................148 A. Historical Development ...............................................................................148 1. Concrete Arch Bridges .........................................................................152\ 2. Standardized Types: Concrete Slabs, Beams, Frames, and Culverts..............................................................158 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) V. Concrete Bridges in Maryland ....................................................................173 1. The Advent of Concrete Bridges in Maryland ....................................173 2. The Development of Standard Plans ..................................................176 3. Concrete Arch, Beam, Slab, and Rigid Frame Bridges in Maryland 179 W. Conclusion ...................................................................................................181 X. BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................183 Appendix A – Historic Timetable: Maryland historic Bridges ................................A-1 Appendix B – Bridge Builders Active in Maryland ..................................................B-1 Appendix C – Identifying and Evaluating Maryland’s Historic Bridges ................C-1 Acknowledgements "Historic Highway Bridges in Maryland: 1631-1960: Historic Context Report" has been prepared with the generous assistance of the Maryland Department of Transportation, State Highway Administration's Environmental Management Section and Bridge Development Division, and the historic and cultural resources staff of the Maryland Historical Trust. The preparers of this report would like to thank Cynthia Simpson, Rita Suffness, and Bruce Grey of the State Highway Administration Environmental Management Section, and Jim Gatley, Alonzo Corley, and Chris Barth of the State Highway Administration Bridge Development Division for their aid in providing access to key research materials. Thanks are also extended to Ron Andrews, Beth Hannold, Bill Pencek, Mary Louise de Sarran, and Barbara Shepard--all of the staff of the Maryland Historical Trust, and to the members of the Advisory Committee appointed to review this report. In addition we extend special appreciation to Rita Suffness, Architectural/Bridge Historian for the Maryland State Highway Administration, for providing us with numerous background materials, analyses, research papers, histories, and a draft historic bridge context report which she authored, for use in preparing this report. The final report was prepared by P.A.C. Spero & Company. Research, analysis, graphics preparation, and report