Boston & Maine Railroad, Essex Street Bridge, Spanning Boston & Maine Railroad on Essex Street, Swampscott, Essex 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 Essex Street Bridge is representative of a type of Howe pony truss that the railroad used for crossings ranging from 30 feet to 60 feet in length. Although the stringers and decking have been replaced at least twice since 1901, the trusses have not been altered. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Works' Historic Bridge Inventory, the Essex Street Bridge is one of the oldest surviving timber pony trusses in Massachusetts.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-30
Survey number: HAER MA-116
Building/structure dates: 1901 Initial Construction