{"nrhp_refnum":"88000852","name":"Ridge Avenue Bridge in Philadelphia","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Ridge Ave. over Wissahickon Creek","address_restricted":false,"city":"Philadelphia","county":"Philadelphia","state":"PA","lat":40.01481892400005,"lon":-75.20678616399994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1988-06-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Engineering"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A late nineteenth-century stone highway bridge carrying Ridge Avenue over Wissahickon Creek in Philadelphia, in a commercial and residential area. It was built in 1888 of red ashlar stone.","why_significant":"The nomination describes it as a handsome, very fine example of a late nineteenth-century stone highway bridge. It is said to be one of the best preserved and most finely constructed nineteenth-century multi-span stone bridges nominated in Pennsylvania. The area of significance given is engineering.","narrative":"Built in 1888, the Ridge Avenue Bridge in Philadelphia is a stone highway bridge that crosses Wissahickon Creek in a commercial and residential area of the city. Its three segmental arches, each about 30 feet long, are of red ashlar stone, with voussoirs dressed smoother than the spandrel stones. The arches spring from simply articulated piers, and the deck is topped with ornamental wrought iron railings. Parapet walls are very small, appearing only at the wing walls and abutments. The bridge was recognised for its engineering, as one of the best preserved and most finely constructed nineteenth-century multi-span stone bridges in Pennsylvania. A sidewalk was added to the south side and the bridge was widened in 1954. The nominated property is a rectangle of about 115 by 66 feet, covering only the bridge superstructure and substructure, and it is less than one acre.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Widened in 1954, with a sidewalk added to the south side; the form marks the resource as altered.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:37.940012-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/88000852.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88000852/0bf5792f55-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88000852/0bf5792f55-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Smallbones","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ridge_Ave_Bridge_Philly.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Smallbones</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ridge_Ave_Bridge_Philly.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"72001151","name":"Fairmount Park","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/pennsylvania/fairmount-park-72001151/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71993807","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridge_Avenue_Bridge_in_Philadelphia","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7332677"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/ridge-avenue-bridge-in-philadelphia-88000852/"}