Skilton Road Bridge

The Skilton Road Bridge is a historic stone arch bridge, carrying Skilton Road across the Nonewaug River in northwestern Watertown, Connecticut. The bridge was built in 1865-66, and is a rare well-preserved example of a mid-19th century stone bridge. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.[1]

Skilton Road Bridge
LocationSkilton Rd. over the Nonewaug R., Watertown, Connecticut
Coordinates41°37′45″N 73°9′33″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1865 (1865)
Architectural styleMasonry-arch bridge
NRHP reference No.91001744[1]
Added to NRHPDecember 10, 1991

Description and history

The Skilton Road Bridge is located in a rural-residential area of northwestern Watertown, spanning the Nonewaug River between Hinman Road and Hickory Lane. The bridge has an overall length of 35 feet (11 m), with a single arch spanning 20 feet (6.1 m). It is made of dry laid local stone, and is built on a stone ledge on one side and a stone abutment on the other. The stones which form the barrel of the arch are roughly worked, while those filling the spandrels show little evidence of work. The arch is a slightly asymmetrical segmented arch, probably due to the difficulties involved in working at the site. The bridge is 16 feet (4.9 m) wide, and carries a single lane of traffic.[2]

The bridge was built either in 1865-66, after the town voted in 1865 to fund its construction; Skilton Road was at the time the major route between Watertown and Bethlehem. Stone, a more expensive construction material than wood, was probably chosen because of its longer lifespan, and because a mill dam just upstream (now breached) whose breach would have caused flooding that would endanger a wooden bridge. This bridge is fairly typical of mid-19th century stone bridges, which were once quite numerous in the state.[2]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "NRHP nomination for Skilton Road Bridge". National Park Service. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
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