{"nrhp_refnum":"83001645","name":"Washington Bridge","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Between Amsterdam and Undercliff Aves.","address_restricted":false,"city":"New York","county":"The Bronx","state":"NY","lat":40.84505006200004,"lon":-73.92427158699996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-09-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Engineering"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A steel and iron arch bridge with arched masonry approaches spanning the Harlem River between West 181st Street in Manhattan and University Avenue in the Bronx, built 1886-89.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is a significant structure in American engineering history, reflecting nineteenth-century advances in bridge technology. It was the first American bridge to use steel plate girders for arch ribs and an early example of the two-hinged metal arch. Its granite approaches are also noted for fine stone craftsmanship, and it brought together a distinguished group of engineers and architects.","narrative":"Washington Bridge carries traffic across the Harlem River between West 181st Street in Manhattan and University Avenue in the Bronx. Built in 1886-89, it combines two 510-foot steel arch spans with granite-faced masonry approaches, three arches on the Manhattan side and four on the Bronx side. A design competition in 1885 led to a plan by the Union Bridge Company that blended the two winning entries by Charles Conrad Schneider and Wilhelm Hildenbrand. It was the first American bridge to use steel plate girders for arch ribs and an early two-hinged metal arch. Engineers including William J. McAlpine, William R. Hutton and Theodore Cooper worked on it, and DeLemos & Cordes designed the ornamental cornice and balustrade. Construction employed about 500 men. Later changes included widened roadways, new ramps, added bracing in the 1930s, and loss of original lampposts and some balustrade details. Contemporary and later critics praised both its engineering and its appearance.","period_of_significance":"1886-89","architect_builder":"Charles C. Schneider and Wilhelm Hildenbrand, design modified by Union Bridge Company","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Still in use as a transportation structure; the form lists it as occupied, publicly owned, and in use for transportation. Parts of the balustrade are missing and the lampposts have been replaced.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:43.424871-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/83001645.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83001645/6635469b7a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83001645/6635469b7a-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Jim.henderson","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wash_Br_Harlem_water_jeh.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Jim.henderson</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wash_Br_Harlem_water_jeh.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75316535","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Bridge_(Harlem_River)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2550421"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/the-bronx/washington-bridge-83001645/"}