{"nrhp_refnum":"72000137","name":"Choate Bridge","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"MA 133/1A over the Ipswich River (S. Main St.)","address_restricted":false,"city":"Ipswich","county":"Essex County","state":"MA","lat":42.67953390900004,"lon":-70.83727296799998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1972-08-21","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Engineering","Transportation"],"significance_levels":["state","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-arch granite stone bridge carrying Route 1A (South Main Street) over the Ipswich River in Ipswich, Massachusetts. It was built in 1764 and widened on its eastern side in 1838.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the bridge is significant in the history of American road building as an early example of stone construction. It is described as one of the oldest stone bridges in Massachusetts, if not the oldest, and has been certified a Massachusetts Historic Landmark. It is also tied to Col. John Choate, who supervised its construction.","narrative":"Choate Bridge carries Main Street (Route 1A) across the Ipswich River in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Built in 1764 entirely of rough hewn granite, it has two elliptical arches resting on a central abutment. The western side, with small evenly cut stones and a guard wall bearing an inscription, survives as first built. In 1838 the eastern side was widened from about 20 feet to 35 feet using larger random ashlar, and the join between the two periods remains visible beneath the arches. The bridge replaced an older cart bridge and was paid for by the county and the town. It was named for Col. John Choate, a stonework expert and public official who supervised the work. It is recognized as an early example of American stone road construction, one of the oldest stone bridges in Massachusetts, and a certified state historic landmark.","period_of_significance":"18th Century (1764)","architect_builder":"Col. John Choate supervised construction; built by Town and County, 1764","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed in excellent condition and marked altered (widened in 1838), on its original site; owned by the Town of Ipswich and in use as part of a public road.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:53.83036-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/37/7950/63795037/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/72000137.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72000137/d66cd58d81-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72000137/d66cd58d81-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IpswichMA_ChoateBridge_FarView.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">User:Magicpiano</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IpswichMA_ChoateBridge_FarView.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63795037","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choate_Bridge","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5103443"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/essex-county/choate-bridge-72000137/"}