At this location, the Venango Veterans Memorial Bridge once carried Cussewago Street over French Creek. It was an historically significant example of its type, and played an important role in the local history of Venango Borough and Cambridge Township. In 2001 it was determined to be eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
Pratt Truss Bridges: The bridge type is known as a "Pratt through truss". It was made of steel, and was erected in 1893. It had two spans, supported by two stone abutments and a central stone pier.
The Venango Veterans Memorial Bridge exhibited features typical of the state of the art of bridge engineering at the time it was built. For example, rather than wood joist flooring, this bridge used steel I-beams to support its timber deck.
The various parts of the bridge were assembled using metal "pins" that passed through the plates and eyes of the pieces they connected.
After more than 100 years of service, the Venango Veterans Memorial Bridge was closed to traffic in 2002, due to its badly deteriorated condition. Because it was not feasible to rehabilitate the bridge, it was removed and dismantled in 2010.
Throughout its long and useful life, the Venango Veterans Memorial Bridge facilitated the movement of Goods and people,
and contributed to the well being of those who lived here and in the surrounding countryside.
The bridge had decorative elements along with its significant engineering features. It had attractive metal lattice along the outside of the bridge deck, along the wooden pedestrian sidewalk, and on the tops of its entry portals. Above each entry portal was a decorative plaque indicating the date the bridge was erected and naming the Wrought Iron Bridge Company as its manufacturer.
The Venango Veterans Memorial Bridge was designed and constructed by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company, one of several nationally prominent bridge manufacturers that operated during the later half of the nineteenth century.
The Wrought Iron Bridge Company shipped the disassembled components of the Venango Veterans Memorial Bridge to this location, and their expert bridge builders erected the structure on site.
Founded in 1864, the company manufactured both highway and railroad bridges that were erected throughout the United States. They continued as an independent company until being acquired by the American Bridge Company, which was still operating as of autumn, 2010.
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