{"nrhp_refnum":"99001324","name":"Wilmington Bridge","other_names":["Bin #1-03275-0"],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"NY 86 over AuSable R.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Wilmington","county":"Essex County","state":"NY","lat":44.38899480200007,"lon":-73.81729107899997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1999-11-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Transportation","Entertainment/Recreation","Engineering","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-span, stone-faced reinforced concrete arch highway bridge carrying NYS Route 86 over the West Branch of the AuSable River in the hamlet of Wilmington, Essex County, New York. It was built in 1934-35 by C. L. Smith, Inc. to a New York State Department of Public Works design.","why_significant":"The bridge is presented as a distinguished, intact example of WPA-era highway bridge engineering and design, built with local granite to blend with its mountain setting. It reflects the shift of the Adirondack economy toward tourism and served as the gateway to the Whiteface Mountain Memorial Highway. It is also tied to the twentieth-century transportation history of Route 86.","narrative":"Wilmington Bridge carries NYS Route 86 across the West Branch of the AuSable River in the center of the Adirondack hamlet of Wilmington. Built in 1934-35 by C. L. Smith, Inc. for $70,375, it has two 70-foot reinforced concrete arch spans faced with local granite, with a 24-foot roadway and concrete sidewalks. The New York State Department of Public Works designed it alongside the Whiteface Mountain Memorial Highway, using the same rough-hewn granite so both would blend with the rugged scenery. It replaced an older iron truss bridge that could not handle the traffic expected from growing tourism, and it became the gateway to the highway. The bridge is valued as an intact example of WPA-era highway design and as a marker of the region's move from industry to tourism. Apart from replaced sidewalks, it keeps its original appearance and remains in reasonably good condition.","period_of_significance":"1934-1948","architect_builder":"Architect/Engineer: New York State Dept. of Public Works; Builder: C.L. Smith, Inc.","architectural_style":"OTHER: Stone-faced, concrete arched bridge","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Retains its original appearance and integrity and is in reasonably good condition; only the original bluestone sidewalks were replaced with concrete. Still carries NYS Route 86.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:50.177017-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/99001324.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75312872","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilmington_Bridge","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8022748"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/essex-county/wilmington-bridge-99001324/"}