I have another mystery for you all, and it's one that falls in the category of Cool Sh*t You Find in the Woods. A reader named Frank had tried to bring this to my attention a while back but I didn't get around to it. I did now and I'm glad I did, and I thank him for reaching out again. (I also thank him for the photos.) What he found is an old bridge in the woods on the south end of the Delaware Park property. I've tried, but I can't figure out why it's there.It spans a small creek that runs south from White Clay Creek a short distance beyond the former Pennsylvania RR (now Amtrak) tracks. It's made of concrete, so it's almost certainly early or mid 20th Century. Anything older would have been wood or stone. It's not a railroad bridge, but I can't find any evidence of there ever being a vehicular road there. I've checked old maps and aerial views, but no road. So why is it there?
All I have are guesses, some better than others. A short-lived road or planned one, long gone? Access road for local farmers? Access road for DE Park vehicles? Since it's now covered with grass and dirt, maybe access over the creek for DE Park horses? Frank thinks he recalls seeing "1941" on it once, but he's not sure. Delaware Park opened in 1937, and this type of bridge was in use both before and after then. But it does look like the kind built to handle automobile traffic, not horse-drawn traffic.
So, does anyone happen to remember this bridge, or recall ever hearing about it? Does anyone have any better ideas as to who built it and why? It's a pretty substantial structure, and was definitely built for a reason -- I just can't figure out what that reason might be. To help you out, below are some more photos of the bridge, maps of its location, a 1937 aerial maybe showing it, and another similar bridge nearby on Telegraph Road.
I honestly don't know if this is related to this story or not, but I wanted to put it out there just in case. While researching the Independence Mill in Stanton, which for 50 years was part of the Kiamensi Woolen Company, I came across this very short notice from New Years Day 1921. It says that "A concrete culvert over the raceway at Kiamensi woolen mills, in Stanton" was constructed. The previous paragraph talks about older wooden planked bridges being replaced by concrete ones. It just so happens that an astute commenter made the point that there are wooden posts underneath, which would fit neatly into the idea that an older wooden bridge was "upgraded" to a concrete one in 1920.
The only other place that there would have been a bridge over the mill race here would have been on the main road right in front of the mill, by the Hale-Byrnes House. The fact that the article doesn't say that it was a bridge on the turnpike makes me think that it wasn't. So, possibly we have a partial answer to our questions.
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| Could this Jan 1, 1921 mention be our bridge? |
From the photo, it looks like it spans the millrace leading northeast. Access to the dam. But then it would be an automobile era bridge over an obsolete race...odd.
ReplyDeleteIt is odd. And Frank made the good point to me that while I think of the whole area as "DE Park", this is on the south side of White Clay. Not sure if this was really part of the park property in the 30's and 40's, and if they'd need something there. Yeah, sure seems like an automobile bridge to me. And, with the concrete structure and stone abutments, was it built on an earlier structure?
Deletei dont think this was ever a automobile brdige it goes nowhere theres no road there
DeleteWas it for golf carts, but they changed the layout at White Clay Creek Country Club? This part of NCCo has roads that go all over but disappear abruply where Route 7, Route 273, I-95 have been built,rebuiltand reoriented. There's a cool little row of townhouses at the end of Old Route 7, across from a parking lot for Shone Lumber. There's well kept dirt road all along the RR for miles, with occasional cleared spots where there were bldgs at some point.
ReplyDeleteOR, was there a pathway that Delaware Racetrack used BEFORE the golf course was opened in 2005? It's still their land.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos but not sure where it is.
ReplyDeletei believe this is a much older bridge than the pictures of the concrete bridge shown. it must have been rebuilt at a later time. there are wooden posts underneath the bridge on both sides.also just sticking out of the water in front of the bridge there are the remains of 4 very large posts i believe this bridge is pretty old originally it looks like it was wood and stone before it was rebuilt to the present concrete pictures.just my opinon
ReplyDeleteThat's a great point. There's no reason to assume that the bridge there now is the first and only to be built on the site. Really, the age of this bridge and the age of a bridge at this place are two separate questions.
DeleteBy a stroke of luck, I happened to have recently come across a 1921 mention of a concrete culvert being built over the raceway for the Kiamensi Woolen Company's Stanton Mill. I've update the bottom of the post with the notice and my thoughts. If this is it, then the commenter above got it right, and the an older wooden bridge was replaced by a concrete one. Great catch!!!
ReplyDeleteit cannot be the this bridge it has 10/10/11 on it i guess it was rebulit in 1911
ReplyDeletewas bridge to old farm houses one still back of the golf course other one where the clubhouse is today ride back see house behind maintenance building bridge spot today replace with golf cart bridge
ReplyDelete