Boston & Maine Railroad, Clark Street Bridge, Spanning Boston & Maine Railroad on Clark Street, Belmont, Middlesex County, MA

Significance: The Boston & Maine Railroad built wood and iron truss bridges into the twentieth century, long after most other railroads had switched to all-metal bridges. The Clark Street Bridge is representative of a type of Howe pony truss that the railroad used for spans ranging from approximately 30' to 60' in length. The bridge is a well-executed example of the final evolution of the Howe form, and it combines those innovations that were the product of the intuitive understanding of the carpenter, with those born of later engineering disciplines. Of the eight extant wooden pony trusses identified in the Massachusetts Department of Public Works database, the Clark Street Bridge is the only example to show the fully developed Howe form, all others being of modified Howe form. Of the eight wooden pony trusses, it is one of six that have boxed (covered) trusses.
Survey number: HAER MA-94
Building/structure dates: 1908 Initial Construction