Wissahickon Memorial Bridge
Also known as: See Also:Fairmont Park Historic District
Why it's listed
Built in 1931, the Wissahickon Memorial Bridge is a single-span concrete arch carrying vehicular traffic over Wissahickon Drive near Henry Avenue in Philadelphia. The main span measures 288 feet and rises high above the roadway, so the full arch can be seen from below. Its open-spandrel design uses a two-ribbed arch that supports smaller spandrel arches and continuous solid parapets. The arches, spandrel walls and parapet are faced with coursed fieldstone, applied in a carefully executed masonry treatment. The bridge is valued for its engineering, and it is considered a late example of an embellished concrete bridge. Among the bridges in its nominated group, it is the only open-spandrel arch faced with stone, and it is also the longest single concrete arch span in that group. The nominated property covers the bridge superstructure and substructure only, within a rectangle of about 350 by 78 feet.
Significance in brief: The document describes it as an important and unusual open-spandrel bridge, the longest single concrete arch span in the group of bridges nominated under the Pennsylvania highway bridges multiple resource area. It is presented as a late example of an embellished concrete bridge and the only open-spandrel arch in that group faced with stone. Its significance is placed under Engineering.
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 88000807, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Henry Ave. over Wissahickon Dr., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000807 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1931 |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Fairmount Park |
| Coordinates | 40.02421, -75.19580 (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 88000807.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8027700
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.