Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge, Spanning Rock Creek & Potomac Parkway, Washington, District of Columbia, DC

Significance: Cast-iron water mains from the Aqueduct Bridge by Montgomery Meigs, the span that preceded the present bridge, are encased in the concrete arch and are visible on the underside. These pipes were integral to the city's early water supply, and they continue to function as a link in the system that carries water from the reservoir in Georgetown to the city of Washington proper. The 1915-16 concrete arch span elicited a complaint from the Commission of Fine Arts about its design, and initiated a debate about the proper form of Rock Creek crossings.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N130
Survey number: HAER DC-21
Building/structure dates: 1858- 1860 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1915- 1916 Subsequent Work