Pacific Electric Railroad Bridge
Also known as: Gill,Irving,Bridge
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Why it's listed
Spanning Torrance Boulevard at Bow Street, this reinforced concrete bridge was built in 1913 as a gateway to the new industrial town of Torrance. Architect Irving Gill, appointed chief architect in 1912, designed it to carry Southern Pacific tracks overhead while Pacific Electric streetcars, automobiles and pedestrians passed through six arches below. It kept trains from blocking major streets and kept noise away from residential areas. The bridge is considered significant for three reasons. It is the only unaltered structure remaining from the original Torrance plan, drawn up by the Olmsted Brothers. It shows Gill's preference for simple forms and unadorned surfaces. Structurally it is a plain girder and slab bridge hidden behind decorative arched walls that carry no load, a design the nomination reports found in no other California concrete girder bridge. Changes have been minor, and the city acquired the bridge in 1986 to preserve it.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criterion C in community planning, architecture and engineering. It is the only unaltered structure left from the original Torrance general plan, it is the work of master architect Irving Gill, and it uses non-load-bearing decorative arches to disguise a plain girder-and-slab structure, a technique the nomination describes as highly unusual.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 89000854, listed July 13, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Torrance Blvd. and Bow St., Torrance |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | July 13, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000854 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1912 |
| Architect / builder | Gill, Irving/Pacific Electric Ry. |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement; Other: Deck-arch bridge |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Engineering, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Minor alterations from the early 1950s (removal of telephone poles, addition of wooden guardrails); cracking from age and weather, mostly hidden by vines. The city obtained ownership in 1986 to preserve it; tracks on the bridge remain but are abandoned. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 33.83754, -118.31185 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 89000854.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7122441
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.