Historic Highway Bridges in Maryland: 1631-1960, Historic Context Report

This 1995 report examines the history of bridge building from the colonial period to the recent past. Ten types of construction (arch, beam, cantilever, girder, movable, rigid frame, slab, suspension, timber and truss) and four types of materials (wood, stone, concrete and metal) characterize Maryland's bridges. The context provides an overview and history of road, bridge and highway development; a discussion of government agencies that controlled the roads and bridges; images and three appendices which contain a timetable; a list of bridge designers who were active in Maryland; and character-defining elements (CDEs) for each bridge type. The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) uses this context to compile its historic bridge inventory and to evaluate each bridge for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. Others can use this context to assess the historical significance of a bridge. The type groupings allow a reviewer to compare a resource against a similar structure in the state or a county.



I. Introduction
II.Maryland Transportation Through Four Centuries III. Timber Bridges IV. Stone Arch Bridge V. Metal Truss Bridges VI. Movable Bridges VII. Metal Girder Bridges VIII. Metal Suspension, Arch, and Cantilever Bridges IX. Concrete Bridges X. Bibliography
Appendix A     Historic Timetable: Maryland Historic Bridges
Appendix B     Bridge Builders Active in Maryland
Appendix C     Identifying and Evaluating Maryland's Historic Bridges


I. Introduction
11
II.Maryland Transportation Through Four Centuries
14
III. Timber Bridges
47
IV. Stone Arch Bridge
60
V. Metal Truss Bridges
76
VI. Movable Bridges
105
VII. Metal Girder Bridges
121
VIII. Metal Suspension, Arch, and Cantilever Bridges
133
IX. Concrete Bridges
159
X. Bibliography
194
Appendix A     Historic Timetable: Maryland Historic Bridges
222
Appendix B     Bridge Builders Active in Maryland
228
Appendix C     Identifying and Evaluating Maryland's Historic Bridges
239