Two Cent Bridge

Last updated
Two Cent Bridge
TwocentbridgeME.jpg
View from the Waterville side of the bridge
Coordinates 44°33′03″N69°37′34″W / 44.55086°N 69.62610°W / 44.55086; -69.62610
Carries Pedestrians
Crosses Kennebec River
Locale Waterville-Winslow, Maine
Official nameTiconic Footbridge
Characteristics
Design Suspension bridge
Width6 feet (2 m)
Longest span400 feet (122 m)
History
Opened1903 (1903)
Location
Two Cent Bridge

The Ticonic Footbridge, popularly known as the Two Cent Bridge or the Two Penny Bridge, is a suspension bridge that spans the Kennebec River between the city of Waterville and the town of Winslow in Kennebec County, Maine. It is one of the oldest surviving wire-cable steel suspension bridges and also is considered to be the last known extant toll footbridge in the United States. [1]

Contents

History

The original footbridge was constructed in 1901 by Edwin Dwight Graves of the Berlin Construction Company. The bridge was owned by Ticonic Foot Bridge Company, which gave the bridge its official name. It was intended to give workers coming from Temple Street in Waterville easy access to Hollingsworth & Whitney Company (later Scott Paper Company) mills across the Kennebec in Winslow. The original toll was one cent, which was collected at a booth on the Waterville side of the river. However, less than a year after its opening on December 15, 1901, the bridge was washed away by high water levels. [2]

The bridge was rebuilt in 1903. The second incarnation of the Ticonic proved to be sturdier, and continued to serve the local population for many years. The toll crossing rose to two cents, where the bridge derived its common name. In the 1960s the footbridge was purchased by a group of townspeople with the intent to preserve it, and doubled the toll to four cents. Eventually the toll was abolished altogether, and ownership taken over by the City of Waterville in 1981. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Preservation and restoration

The Two Cent Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. [6] While considerable efforts have been put into maintaining the bridge, it has been closed at various points over the years when conditions have made foot crossings unsafe.

On July 4, 1990, the Two Cent Bridge suffered severe structural damage when hundreds of people attending a nearby concert converged on the footpath, straining the bridge's weight and tension limits. The bridge was immediately closed and stabilized; complete restoration took several years. The historic tollbooth was removed but was later restored and replaced at the bridge. [7]

In 2012, the bridge was rehabilitated for continued pedestrian use. The metal grate deck and horizontal wind cables were replaced, and the lattice railing was removed and replaced with a modern railing. [3]

Currently, many civic organizations in the Waterville–Winslow area, including the local Rotary Club, dedicate funds to the bridge's upkeep.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kennebec County, Maine</span> County in Maine, United States

Kennebec County is a county located in the South-central portion of the U.S. state of Maine. At the 2020 census, the population was 123,642. Its county seat is Augusta, the state capital. The county was established on February 20, 1799, from portions of Cumberland and Lincoln Counties. The name Kennebec comes from the Eastern Abenaki /kínipekʷ/, meaning "large body of still water, large bay."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterville, Maine</span> City in Maine, United States

Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The city is home to Colby College, Thomas College, and the headquarters of HealthReach Community Health Centers. As of the 2020 census the population was 15,828. Along with Augusta, Waterville is one of the principal cities of the Augusta-Waterville, ME Micropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winslow, Maine</span> Town in the state of Maine, United States

Winslow is a town and census-designated place in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, along the Kennebec River across from Waterville. The population was 7,948 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewiston–Queenston Bridge</span> Bridge in Ontario and Lewiston, New York

The Lewiston–Queenston Bridge, also known as the Queenston–Lewiston Bridge, is an arch bridge that crosses the Niagara River gorge just south of the Niagara Escarpment. The bridge was officially opened on November 1, 1962. It is an international bridge between the United States and Canada. It connects Interstate 190 in the town of Lewiston, New York to Highway 405 in the community of Queenston, Ontario. The Lewiston–Queenston Bridge is architecturally similar to the Rainbow Bridge at nearby Niagara Falls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waco Suspension Bridge</span> Bridge in Texas, United States

The Waco Suspension Bridge crosses the Brazos River in Waco, Texas. It is a single-span suspension bridge, with a main span of 475 ft. Opened on November 20, 1869, it contains nearly 3 million bricks. It is located north of downtown Waco, connecting Indian Spring Park with Doris D. Miller Park. Every year on Independence Day, the bridge serves as a place where thousands of locals gather to watch fireworks. Indian Spring Park marks the location of the origin of the town of Waco, where the Huaco Indians had settled on the bank of the river, at the location of a cold spring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bear Mountain Bridge</span> Bridge in United States of America

The Bear Mountain Bridge, ceremonially named the Purple Heart Veterans Memorial Bridge, is a toll suspension bridge in New York State. It carries US 6 and US 202 across the Hudson River between Bear Mountain State Park in Orange County and Cortlandt in Westchester County. At completion in 1924 it was the longest suspension bridge in the world until this record was surpassed 19 months later by the Benjamin Franklin Bridge between Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey. Like the Williamsburg Bridge in New York City, the approach spans of the Bear Mountain Bridge are unsuspended; only its main span is suspended by cables.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway</span> Railway in Maine, USA

The Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway is a 2 ft narrow gauge railway. The line was operated as a for-profit company from 1895 until 1933 between the Maine towns of Wiscasset, Albion, and Winslow, but was abandoned in 1936. Today, about three miles (4.8 km) of the track in the town of Alna has been rebuilt and is operated by the non-profit Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway Museum as a heritage railroad offering passenger excursion trains and hauling occasional cargo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bidwell Bar Bridge</span> Suspension bridge in Oroville, California

The Bidwell Bar Bridge, in Oroville, California, is the name of two suspension bridges that cross different parts of Lake Oroville. The original Bidwell Bar Bridge was the first steel suspension bridge in California. The $35,000, 240-foot-long (73 m) original was completed in December 1855, and was built of materials transported from Troy, New York, via Cape Horn. Most of the money was put up by Judge Joseph Lewis, a Virginian who moved to Bidwell's Bar in 1849. The bridge originally crossed the Middle Fork Feather River and is the only one of several suspension bridges built in the area in the 1850s that still remains. It remained open to vehicle traffic until 1954.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waldo–Hancock Bridge</span> Bridge in Bucksport, Maine

The Waldo–Hancock Bridge was the first long-span suspension bridge erected in Maine, as well as the first permanent bridge across the Penobscot River downstream from Bangor. The name comes from connecting Waldo and Hancock counties. The bridge was built in 1931 and retired in 2006, when the new Penobscot Narrows Bridge was opened just a few yards away, and it was demolished in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Androscoggin Swinging Bridge</span> Historic Suspension footbridge on the Androscoggin River

The Androscoggin Swinging Bridge is a pedestrian suspension bridge spanning the Androscoggin River in Maine between the towns of Topsham in Sagadahoc County and Brunswick in Cumberland County. The bridge was built in 1892 as a timesaving approach for employees of the Cabot Manufacturing Company of Brunswick, could have safer and easier passage across the river.

David Rowell & Co. was a company based in Westminster, London that fabricated wrought iron and wire rope, built suspension footbridges, and structural steel frame buildings. They were established in 1855 and closed in 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redington Museum</span> Historic house in Maine, United States

The Redington Museum or Redington House is a historic house and museum in Waterville, Maine that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum is the headquarters of the Waterville Historical Society. Built in 1814, it is one of the best-preserved houses of the period in the city. It has served since 1924 as the museum and headquarters of the Waterville Historical Society, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring Garden Street Bridge</span> Bridge in Pennsylvania, United States

Spring Garden Street Bridge is a highway bridge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It crosses the Schuylkill River below Fairmount Dam and connects West Philadelphia to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Benjamin Franklin Parkway. It is the fourth bridge at this location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameron Suspension Bridge</span> Historic bridge in Coconino County, Arizona

The Cameron Suspension Bridge crosses the Little Colorado River at Cameron, Arizona, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Verde River Sheep Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Verde River Sheep Bridge, also known as the Red Point Sheep Bridge, is a suspension bridge which crosses the Verde River in Arizona. Constructed primarily to allow sheep to be driven between grazing ranges on either side of the river. Building started in 1943 and was completed in 1944. Sheep drives stopped in 1978. The bridge was closed in 1987 and largely demolished in 1988. A replica bridge was constructed by the U.S. Forest Service in 1989 to allow hikers access to the Mazatzal Wilderness in Tonto National Forest. The original west suspension tower still remains alongside the replica bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollingsworth & Whitney Company</span>

The Hollingsworth & Whitney Company was a pulp and paper company that owned one or more pulp and paper mills in Winslow, Maine. The company opened in 1892, providing work for Waterville residents who lived on the far bank of the Kennebec River. A footbridge was constructed in 1901 so the citizens of Waterville could commute to Winslow. The bridge became known as the Two Cent Bridge due to the price of its toll.

The Berlin Steel Construction Company, also known as Berlin Steel, is a metal fabrication company with headquarters in Connecticut and Virginia. Berlin Steel is the successor to Berlin Iron Bridge Company, and is credited as the architect of many historical bridges from the early 20th century, at least three of which have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockwood Mill Historic District</span> Historic district in Maine, United States

The Lockwood Mill Historic District encompasses the only major 19th-century mill complex in Waterville, Maine. Located south of the city's downtown, it was designed by Amos D. Lockwood, a nationally known industrial designer of the period. Its #2 building was for 45 years home to the Hathaway Shirt Company. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterville Main Street Historic District</span> Historic district in Maine, United States

The Waterville Main Street Historic District encompasses the best-preserved portions of the historical commercial downtown area of Waterville, Maine. Developed most intensively in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this area was the center of commerce for Waterville and the surrounding rural communities. It encompasses 25 properties on Main and Common Streets, including the Waterville Opera House and City Hall. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012, and was slightly enlarged in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howley Bridge</span> British Bridge spanning River Mersey

The Howley Bridge is a pedestrian footbridge which spans the River Mersey in Warrington, England. It connects Howley in Warrington to Victoria Park in Latchford.

References

  1. "Bridgemeister - 1903 Ticonic (Tupenny, Two Cent) - Waterville, Maine, USA". www.bridgemeister.com. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
  2. 1 2 Knoblock, Glenn A. (2012-01-25). Historic Iron and Steel Bridges in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. McFarland. ISBN   9780786486991.
  3. 1 2 "Two Cent Bridge (Ticonic Foot Bridge) - HistoricBridges.org". historicbridges.org. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
  4. "BRIDGING THE GAP; After 60 Years, Foot Span in Maine Doubles Its Toll to 4 Cents". The New York Times. April 12, 1964. Retrieved March 27, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. "Waterville: We will clean Two Cent Bridge". Portland Press Herald. April 5, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. "Maine - Kennebec County". National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  7. Calder, Amy. "The infamous July 4, 1990". Central Maine. Retrieved 2016-04-08.