Delaware and Hudson Railroad Bridge
Why it's listed
Two steel railroad bridges cross the Main Branch of the AuSable River near its mouth at Lake Champlain, in the towns of AuSable and Peru, New York. Built in 1913 by the American Bridge Company, both are Warren through trusses with riveted steel channel, lattice and I-beam members on concrete abutments. The north bridge spans 156 feet and the south bridge 173 feet, and both carry cast-iron plaques dated 1913. They carry the former Delaware & Hudson line, which opened as a through route to Plattsburgh in 1875 and supported iron mining, manufacturing and tourism in the region. The bridges are valued as intact examples of a standard early 20th century railroad truss design that descends from mid-19th century iron Warren trusses. They also reflect the growth in locomotive weight, from about 40 tons in 1860 to 150 tons or more by 1910. No alterations are known, and the line remains in use for freight and Amtrak service.
Significance in brief: The bridges are significant as intact, well-preserved examples of early 20th century railroad bridge engineering and construction. They are also tied to the history of rail transportation along the Adirondack-Lake Champlain corridor, which has been the major north-south rail route in the region since 1913.
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 99001317, listed November 12, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Over AuSable River northeast of Lakeside Rd., AuSable |
|---|---|
| County | Clinton County |
| Listed | November 12, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99001317 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1913-1948 |
| Architect / builder | American Bridge Company |
| Architectural style | Warren steel truss bridges (Warren through truss) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still carries the rail line, now owned by Canadian-Pacific Railroad and used mainly for freight, with two Amtrak trips daily. No alterations are known and integrity is described as exceptionally high. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 44.55554, -73.43430 (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 99001317.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5253433
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.