20 Historical Bridges in Tompkins County, NY

20 Bridges of historic significance in Tompkins County, New York.

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20 Historical Bridges in Tompkins County, NY

Trumansburg, New York 14886, United States

Created By: Altered Landscapes / Preserved Landscapes

Tour Information

This tour was created as a part of Altered Landscapes/Preserved Landscapes, an exhibit scheduled for 2017 in The History Center in Tompkins County honoring the county's bicentennial. Each stop on the tour highlights one of Tompkins County's historical bridges, showing how it has been either altered or preserved over the years. Historical photos have been provided wherever available, as well as modern photos, taken by the authors in the spring of 2016.

The choice of bridges on this list was based primarily on the bridges identified as historic by HistoricBridges.org. Their list was supplemented by other bridges of local interest, including former and current covered bridges, a pedestrian bridge that is part of the rails-to-trails project, and additional bridges built by the Groton Bridge Company of Groton, NY.


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What You'll See on the Tour

Altered.  The original Halseyville covered bridge was built over Taughannock Creek in 1833, along with a new mill, after the original mill and log bridge were destroyed by a flood, one of several highly destructive floods recorded for thi... Read more
Altered.  This former railroad bridge over Taughannock Creek near Trumansburg is now part of the Black Diamond walking trail, part of Tompkins County’s rails-to-trails program.  The Black Diamond Trail runs along the former route of th... Read more
Preserved. This 502-foot steel arch bridge is unusual for its length, especially for having been built in 1930.  Located in Ludlowville (Lansing), this bridge crosses Salmon Creek near Cayuga Lake.  It was closed for two weeks near the en... Read more
Preserved. Built in 1920, this Warren pony truss bridge was updated in 1987 to include modern guardrails along its full length.  The main structure, however, is intact, preserving this bridge’s historic status.  The Morrell Road Bridge ... Read more
Preserved. Originally built over the West Branch of Cayuga Inlet in 1873 by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio, this bridge was reconstructed in 2003, significantly altering the underlying structure.  The new bridge is longer and n... Read more
Preserved. This is the only remaining covered bridge in Tompkins County, one of approximately 25 in the state of New York, and the oldest covered bridge still open daily for vehicles.  It was built by Samuel Hamm & Sons, David Dassance... Read more
Preserved. King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio built this wrought iron bridge in 1881.  It has been structurally updated so it is now supported from underneath by beams, but the original deck trusses remain intact.  This bridge crosses... Read more
Preserved. This stone arch bridge has carried traffic through Buttermilk State Park and over Buttermilk Creek since it was built in 1929.   It appears to have been built using local stone, and is attractive as well as functional.  It can... Read more
Altered.  This bridge over Six Mile Creek, a Pratt pony truss, was built by the Groton Bridge Company of Groton, NY in 1877, its first year of operation.  It was replaced by a non-descript, purely functional bridge in 1983 after the ori... Read more
Preserved. This 1934 bridge over Fall Creek near Ithaca High School features a Warren Pony Truss design common in the early 20th century, but rarely seen in new bridges today.  This bridge was rehabilitated in 2002, preserving it faithful... Read more
Preserved.   Built in 1951, this is the most recent of our historic bridge collection.  It is noteworthy due to its deck truss design, rare in this part of the state.  Recently rehabilitated, this bridge retains its historic structure an... Read more
Preserved. The oldest Warren Pony Truss bridge in Tompkins County, this bridge is now supported by steel beams.  The visible trusses maintain the historic appearance of the original bridge, even though they no longer serve a structural pur... Read more
Preserved. Built across Fall Creek in 1909 by the Groton Bridge Company of Groton, NY, this is the oldest steel through-truss bridge in Tompkins County.  The double-intersection Warren truss bridge was more commonly used by the Owego Bridg... Read more
Preserved.  This 1920 bridge over Fall Creek in Varna, believed to have been built by the Groton Bridge Company, replaces an earlier Groton Bridge from 1878.  Its 161-foot length, requiring an additional supporting pier in its center, is ... Read more
Preserved.  This Warren pony truss bridge, built over Fall Creek in 1932, is in continuous use today.  Its traditional green coloring helps to indicate its historic nature, as this color and construction method are not seen in contemporar... Read more
Preserved.  This bridge is extremely rare, a unique example of a continuous multi-span pony truss structure, the only one of its kind in the state of New York.  Built over Fall Creek in 1887 by the Groton Bridge Company of Groton NY, this... Read more
Preserved.  The Good Roads Machinery Company of Marathon, NY built this bridge over Fall Creek in 1915, which was last updated in 1973.  This bridge is an example of the Warren pony truss, a design seen in many bridges built in that era.... Read more
Preserved.  Built over Fall Creek in 1915, this Warren Pony Truss bridge is still in use today.  Bridge floor beam replacement was completed in January 2016, due to deterioration from aging since its last update in 1972.   http://histori... Read more
Preserved.  Built from railroad rails and metal rods in 1877, this bowstring truss bridge was the first of its kind, resulting in two new patents.  Designers Oliver Avery, Jr. and Caleb Bartholomew used this design to help launch the Grot... Read more
Altered. The original pony truss bridge in this location, built in the late 19th century, succumbed to age and was replaced, first by a temporary “Bailey” bridge, and now by a more modern bridge, currently under construction.  The cons... Read more

 

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