General Dean Suspension Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning the Kaskaskia River at Carlyle, Illinois, this suspension bridge replaced an earlier ford and ferry crossing. Clinton County sought plans and bids, and the contract went to Griffith D. Smith of Pennsylvania. The design called for a 180-foot span between brick-capped stone towers 35 feet high, with stone abutments reaching at least fifteen feet below ground to anchor the cables. The cost was set at $45,000, local timber supplied the wood, and a St. Louis rope company made the cables. Opened in 1860, the bridge served travelers on the Vincennes to St. Louis Trail for sixty-six years. A restoration association formed in 1946, and the state legislature appropriated $20,000 in 1951. The restored bridge was dedicated on November 11, 1953, and renamed for Major General William F. Dean, a Carlyle resident. It was recorded by the Historic American Building Survey and is described as the only structure of its kind in Illinois.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls the bridge a structure of great historical significance and architectural interest, and says it is the only structure of its kind in the state. It was selected by the Historic American Building Survey committee as worthy of careful preservation. It also carried traffic on the Vincennes to St. Louis Trail for decades.
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 73000693, listed April 3, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | E of Carlyle over the Kaskaskia River, Carlyle |
|---|---|
| County | Clinton County |
| Listed | April 3, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000693 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1859) |
| Architect / builder | Griffith D. Smith of Pennsylvania (contractor); cables made by Alesghem & Sons Rope Company of St. Louis |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair and altered, on its original site. Restored and rededicated in 1953; the present use is checked as park. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 38.61116, -89.35730 (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 73000693.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5531824
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.