Why save the Swing Bridge?
2021 Bridgehunter Awards Winner- Bridge Tour USA Award
~The Bridgehunter Chronicles (See Link Below)
2021 Bridgehunter Awards Results
The Historic Bridges of Keeseville, New York
OWNED BY: CLINTON COUNTY (Clinton St / Ausable St Keeseville, NY)
UPDATE JUNE 14, 2021- Today the Crews from Clinton County Highway Department and Town of Ausable joined efforts with a local arborist to take down the dangerous trees. We thank them very much for their hard work!
The Swing Bridge has been inspected. It has shown more paint loss since the last 2014 inspection. The inspection showed the same minor issues as before, and we learned it is in no danger of being closed. The main issue with the Swing Bridge is that need for being painted. (Thank You Clinton County for your efforts)
SWING BRIDGE DETAILS
Built in 1888
-On the National Register of Historic Places
-National Civil Engineering Landmark
The Swing Bridge is currently still open, in no danger of closing, but maintenance is needed.
-Hasn’t been painted in over 30 years.
-RPI did a study in 2018. Their recommendations were concerns that should be addressed within 5-6 years.
-Still used by many locals every day.
-Massive Community Support
-Massive Local Business Support
-Town Boards both passed Resolutions in Support
-Massive Support from both Clinton and Essex County Residents
-Support from Historical Societies all across upstate NY
-Well known by Civil Engineers all across the Country
Visit the Swing Bridge: (Ausable St / Clinton St)
Help Us Save Keeseville’s Historic Bridges
Ausable St / Clinton St Keeseville, NY
For more info: https://keesevillehistoricbridges.com/info/
https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=newyork/keesevillesuspension/
Swing Bridge History (Information Collected by Sean Reines)
The “Swing Bridge”
The bridge you see upriver is the “Swing Bridge,” an historic suspension foot bridge that has crossed the Ausable River since 1888, linking the two halves of a village divided by that river.
The Swing Bridge, built by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company of Berlin, Connecticut, is on the National Register of Historic Places for its historic, architectural, and engineering significance. It is one of three existing 19th century bridges that span the river within a small geographic area of downtown Keeseville, all of which are listed on the National Register. The Swing Bridge was built to serve the working people of Keeseville who walked from their homes to the tanneries, foundries, nail factories, forges, saw mills and other industrial/manufacturing entities where they were employed. Of course, its use extended beyond the workers to any resident or traveler who needed it to get around the village.
The current Swing Bridge was preceded by two earlier foot bridges that crossed the Ausable at this same site. The first of these was constructed sometime prior to 1840 to serve mill hands going to and from the factories which lined both sides of the river. With a footpath hung from forged chains (made from iron mined and processed locally), just a casual stroll across the bridge caused undulating movements that gave it the nickname “swing bridge.” On September 13, 1842, the New York State Militia held a muster in Keeseville and militiamen, accompanied by admiring citizens and small boys, started marching across the pedestrian bridge. The measured cadence of troops marching across caused one link of the chain to break with 40 people on the bridge. Thirteen people lost their lives in the river. Despite the tragedy, another suspension bridge (the second one) was built soon after at the same site and this bridge lasted until 1888 when the current one went up. The current one also moves when one walks across it, hence the “Swing Bridge” name. Its span extends about 240 feet across the river.
The Swing Bridge is one of only a handful of suspension bridges built by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company of East Berlin, Connecticut, a well known and highly regarded late 19th century bridge building entity. In December 1887, the Towns of Ausable and Chesterfield (the two townships whose boundaries include the Keeseville community—Ausable is on the west side of the river and Chesterfield on the east side of the river) contracted with that company to construct this bridge. First, workmen under Almon H. Mussen completed new approaches and abutments of granite and sandstone by January 1888 at a cost of just under $1,000 ($914.17 to be exact). Then came installation of the bridge, which occurred in the spring. For this, the Berlin Iron Bridge Company furnished the labor, the lattice-braced towers, the five-strand steel wire cables, the suspenders, and the floor system for a price of $3,500. All components were shipped by rail from Connecticut and, during the first two weeks of May 1888, the bridge was assembled on-site and strung across the river. A “Mr. S. Fulmer” supervised the fabrication and placement of the bridge.
Of the hundreds of bridges built by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company, probably less than ten were of the suspension type. Keeseville’s Swing Bridge is one of only a couple of those that still remain. Like the first two foot bridges that occupied this site, the Swing Bridge provided an essential link between the two halves of a village divided by the river, serving factory workers and mill hands, businessmen and professionals, and all residents and visitors.
As stated by the National Register of Historic Places nomination that includes it, the 1888 Swing Bridge “reflects the settlement, community development and the development of land-based transportation systems in the AuSable River Valley” and “is part of the gradual evolution of 19th and early 20th century rural bridge design and construction.” (This quote is from Steven Engelhart. National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Nomination for “Historic Bridges of the AuSable River Valley,” June 8, 1999, Section F, Page 11).
For the “Swing Bridge” information, see:
Steven Engelhart, Crossing the River: Historic Bridges of the AuSable River (N.p: Distributed by the Friends of the North Country, Keeseville, New York,1991), 12-18.
Steven Engelhart. National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Nomination for “Historic Bridges of the AuSable River Valley,” June 8, 1999, Section E, Page 6-8 and 29; Section F, Page 11.
Virginia Westbrook. A Thoroughly Wide Awake Little Village: A Walking Guide to Keeseville’s Historic District. Keeseville, New York: Friends of the North Country, Inc., 1996, 4-6.
William P. Chamberlain and Steven Engelhart, eds. The Historic Bridges of Keeseville. Keeseville, New York: No publisher, printed by Adirondack Litho, 1987, 1-18.
Chesterfield VT / Brattleboro VT Suspension Bridge 1936 (Sister Bridge to the Swing Bridge)
Destroyed by flooding.
