Pine Mill Bridge

The Pine Mill Bridge is an historic structure located in Wildcat Den State Park in rural Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. Built in 1878 near the Pine Creek Gristmill it is the only place in Iowa where a mill and bridge combination remains in place. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 as a part of the Highway Bridges of Iowa MPS.[1]

Pine Mill Bridge
LocationOver Pine Creek in Wildcat Den State Park
Coordinates41°28′3″N 90°52′2″W
Built1878
ArchitectWrought Iron Bridge Company
Architectural stylePratt Truss bridge
MPSHighway Bridges of Iowa MPS
NRHP reference No.98000493[1]
Added to NRHPMay 15, 1998

History

The citizens of Montpelier Township petitioned the Muscatine County Board of Supervisors in 1877 for a bridge over Pine Creek at the site of the mill where they needed a crossing to transport their crops. For most of the year the creek was easily crossed, but after a heavy rainfall it was turned into a raging stream. Financial considerations delayed the project for a year when the board solicited bids for the construction of the bridge. In September 1878 a contract to manufacture and erect the truss was issued to the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio. The bridge was completed by the end of the year. While it was one of numerous bridge and mill combinations across the state of Iowa it is the only one that remains.[2]

Design

The Pine Mill Bridge is a standard pinned Pratt through truss bridge offered by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company.[2] The span is composed of seven panels, and is 96 feet (29 m) long. The roadway is 16 feet (5 m) wide.[2]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Pitner, Leslie. "Pine Mill Bridge" (PDF). United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
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