Main Street Bridge
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Why it's listed
Carrying Main Street across the Genesee River in downtown Rochester, this stone bridge was built in 1857 to designs by Daniel Marsh with I. F. Quinby, and G. S. Copeland served as builder. It has five segmental arches with spans of 30 to 42 feet, limestone voussoirs and four piers. Originally 79.4 feet wide, it was widened twenty feet to the south in the 1870s. It is the fourth bridge on the site; earlier wooden spans deteriorated under traffic and river ice. City officials chose durable stone, though millers wanted fewer, broader arches to ease river flow while developers wanted more arches to support buildings along the bridge. Shops once stood on both sides until they were removed in 1964-65. The bridge is valued as an intact example of mid-nineteenth century construction and as the earliest of three stone bridges linking Rochester's two riverbank commercial districts. It is owned by the city and remains in use as a bridge.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is an intact representative example of mid-nineteenth century bridge construction technology. It is also one of four historic links between the two river banks of Rochester's central business district. As the earliest of the three stone bridges in the multiple resource area, it may have influenced the design and materials of the two later stone bridges.
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 84000303, listed October 11, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Main St. at Genesee River, Rochester |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | October 11, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000303 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architect / builder | Architect Daniel Marsh (with I. F. Quinby); builder G. S. Copeland |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the City of Rochester and used as a bridge; condition rated fair, with no threats known. Buildings along the north and south sides were removed in 1964-65 and the roadway was repaved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Four Corners-Genesee Crossroads Historic District |
| Coordinates | 43.15613, -77.61060 (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 84000303.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6736101
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.