Walton Bridge
Also known as: Bin #3-30337-0
Why it's listed
Spanning the East Branch of the AuSable River in a rural part of Keene, this single-lane lenticular truss bridge of steel with cast-iron ornament is about 98 feet long. The Berlin Iron Bridge Company of East Berlin, Connecticut, fabricated and erected it around 1890 for the Western Plank Road Company at Black Brook in Clinton County. In 1925 the bridge was judged obsolete there and was moved to Keene to replace a span washed away in a flood, where it sat on newly built abutments set above the river's torrents. It carried traffic to Dr. Ray Road, serving remaining residences once linked to farms, mines, forges and a sawmill, until the county closed it to vehicles in 1990. Today it is open to pedestrians only. Its importance lies in its rarity, as only about 50 lenticular truss bridges are known to survive nationwide, and in its example of bridge reuse.
Significance in brief: The bridge is argued to be a rare survivor of its type, one of only about 50 surviving lenticular truss bridges in the United States, reflecting a period of innovation in 19th-century bridge design. It also served local transportation, linking farmsteads, small iron mines, forges and a sawmill to the rest of the community. It is a good example of a bridge moved and reused at another site.
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 99001326, listed November 12, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Dr. Ray Rd. access over AuSable R., Keene |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | November 12, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99001326 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1840-1948 |
| Architect / builder | Berlin Iron Bridge Company |
| Architectural style | Lenticular Metal Through Truss Bridge |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Closed to vehicles in 1990 and now used for pedestrians only; no plans to rehabilitate or remove it. The form says it retains a substantial degree of integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 44.24478, -73.79771 (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 99001326.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7966722
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.