Mechanic St Bridge 1838 - Bridges and Tunnels of Allegheny County and Pittsburgh, PA

Portal

Elevation drawing looking downstream

OFFICIAL NAME:
Mechanics Street Bridge Northern Liberties Bridge

OTHER DESIGNATION:
pghe585-3x

LOCATION:
Pittsburgh

USGS 7.5" Topo Quad - UTM Coordinates:
Pittsburgh East - Zone 17; 0585 4478

CARRIED:
Mechanics St [changed to Sixteenth Street after Pittsburgh annexations in 1868]

BETWEEN:
-- Chestnut St on right descending bank of Allegheny River
-- Mechanic St [Sixteenth St] on left descending bank of Allegheny River

CROSSED:
-- Allegheny River at mile 1.3

TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION / DESIGN:
Covered wooden

LENGTH OF MAIN SPAN:

TOTAL LENGTH (including longest elevated ramp):

HEIGHT OF DECK:

YEAR ERECTED / ENGINEER:
1838, burned and rebuilt 1851, partially washed away 1865, burned 1919
replaced 1923
Northern Liberties Bridge Company

ADDITIONAL INFO:
The Northern Liberties Bridge Company was chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1836 to build a bridge in the Borough of Northern Liberties (incorporated into Pittsburgh in 1837) to span the Allegheny River.

The contract for the Northern Liberties Bridge was given July 4, 1836 and was to be completed November, 1837. Officers for the company were F. Lorenz, president, John H. Shoenberger, Samueal M'Kelvy, Wm. Wade, John Kewn, Nicholas Voightly, Sylvanus Lothrop, and J. Painter, managers. G. E. Warner, treasurer, Walter Lowry, secretary. The contractors for the woodwork were E. Oles (Everet Oulds) and J. K. Moorhead. The contractors for the stonework was William Pagan & Co.

Lothrop and Pagan are listed in similar capacities for several other bridges of the time including Hand St (Ninth St) and Williamsport at Monongahela City.

Sixteenth Street was originally called Mechanic St. This was a wooden covered bridge with as few as four arch trusses. It was destroyed by fire in April 1919.

Lock and Dam No. 1, built in 1902, was located at 21st St. It was removed when the Emsworth Dam (1922) was built, thus providing the pool for the Pittsburgh Point area up to the Highland Park Bridge area.

FIELD CHECKED:

INFO SOURCES:
Lorant "Pittsburgh"; Kidney "Pittsburgh's Bridges"

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Last modified: 31-May-2001

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