Golden Hill Bridge
Also known as: Tuttle Bridge
Why it's listed
Carrying Golden Hill Road across the Housatonic River just northeast of downtown Lee, this 81-foot iron bridge is a lenticular pony truss, a design locals call a "pumpkin seed" for its curved outline. The town of Lee bought it in 1885 from the Berlin Iron Bridge Company of Connecticut, replacing a worn wooden span, for a bid of $943. The bridge opened on July 7, 1885, after less than two months of work, and the total cost reached $1,166.01. It rests on marble abutments quarried in Lee. Its wrought-iron trusses include a tension floor-line chord based on William O. Douglas's 1885 patent, a feature unique among the five surviving lenticular pony trusses in the state inventory. It is the oldest lenticular pony truss left in Massachusetts and one of ten lenticular highway truss bridges remaining there. It was listed for its engineering and design significance at the local level, and it still carries traffic.
Significance in brief: It is the oldest surviving lenticular pony truss in Massachusetts and one of only ten remaining lenticular truss highway bridges in the state. It uses William O. Douglas's patented floor-line tension chord, a feature found on only this one of five surviving lenticular pony trusses in the state inventory. It represents a type of iron truss once common in western Massachusetts.
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 93001592, listed February 9, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Golden Hill Rd. over the Housatonic R., Lee |
|---|---|
| County | Berkshire County |
| Listed | February 9, 1994 |
| Reference number | 93001592 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1885 |
| Architect / builder | Berlin Iron Bridge Co. |
| Architectural style | No Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as showing few signs of alteration and in fair condition, and as one of the few lenticular truss bridges still in active use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.32163, -73.24197 (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 93001592.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5579554
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.