Turn-of-River Bridge, Spanning Rippowam River on Old North Stamford Road, Stamford, Fairfield County, CT

2013 Leicester B. Holland Prize, First Place

Significance: With the exception of Gustav Lindenthal's Smithfield Street Bridge in Pittsburgh, PA, The Berlin Iron Bridge Company was the only manufacturer of lenticular bridges in the United States. Additionally, unlike Lindenthal's bridge, the BIBCO bridges were mass-produced: the factory-fabricated components, many of which were used for multiple spans at different locations, were shipped to the site and then quickly assembled. Despite the mass-production nature of their construction, each has individual character as many of the components vary from site to site due most likely to what the original owners picked from the catalog. As well, there are slight variations in the dimensions of riveted components that belie the hand-craftsmanship

required in working wrought iron. BIBCO fabricated nearly 400 lenticular truss bridges, mostly in the east and New England, with 4 as far west as Texas. Approximately 38 survive.

Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N1453

Survey number: HAER CT-192

Building/structure dates: 1892-1893 Initial Construction

National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 87000798

lenticular trusses wrought iron lattice girders wood decking finials transportation civil engineering bridge construction connecticut bridge rippowam rippowam river stamford old north stamford road fairfield fairfield county robert arzola berlin iron bridge company morgen l fleisig historic american engineering record charles m jarvis photo new england pennsylvania manufacturing plants assembly plants building plans library of congress national register of historic places

1969 - 1980

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

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