Location:  Connects Driving Park Avenue and Avenue E, spanning the Genesee River Gorge just north of the Lower Falls.
Rochester, Monroe County, New York

Date of Construction:  1889-1890

Present Owner:

Present Use:  Serves as a bridge crossing for light vehicles and pedestrians with a current load limit of eight tons. Due to structural deterioration, demolition is expected in the near future.

Significance:  The Driving Park Avenue Bridge was constructed in two years, from 1889 to 1890, by the Rochester Bridge and Iron Works, based on design plans by Leffert L. Buck. The bridge is 717 feet long, spanning the 200-foot-deep Genesee River Gorge.  The design employed spandrel bracing, a technique specifically used for traversing gorges.  The Driving Park Avenue Bridge is considered to be the first spandrel-braced arch truss bridge built in the United States.  It was constructed near the end of the iron bridge era when steel was beginning to come into use and was one of the last wrought-iron bridges constructed.

Documentation was prepared by:
Kathleen Sydoriak Allen
Archeological Survey
State University of New York at Buffalo

Date of Preparation:
December 1983
Transmitted by:
Jean P. Yearby, 1985

SITE AND BRIDGE DESCRIPTION

The Driving Park Avenue Bridge is situated 212 feet above the Genesee River.
It runs west to east and connects Driving Park Avenue Bridge with Avenue E in
North Rochester.  The Genesee River flows north through the center of
Rochester and empties into take Ontario to the north of the city.

Land use in the area is a mixture of public and commercial.  Immediately north
along the gorge is Seneca Park.  To the southwest is a YMCA building and
Maplewood Park lies to the northwest.  A generating plant for the Rochester
Gas and Electric company is located southeast and below the bridge, while the
Hawkeye plant of Eastman Kodak is located to the northeast.

The Driving Park Avenue Bridge is a spandrel-braced arch truss bridge measuring 717 feet in length.  There are two approach spans of lattice truss (each 93 feet long) on the west and one 103-foot approach span on the east, also of lattice truss type.  The main arch span is 428 feet long and the arch rib rises vertically to approximately 68 feet at the center (The Union and Advertiser, November 29, 1890, p. 9).  The total width of the bridge is 35 feet; the road deck is 20 feet wide and the structure has two 7.5 foot wide cantilevered sidewalks on either side.

Although the Driving Park Avenue Bridge was trouble-free for the first 48 years after its construction, it was closed in 1938 to replace the deck.  It was repaired again in 1952, 1959 and 1965 and has been closed more frequently for repairs in the last twenty years.  A brief summary of alterations follows.

1938: Original oak timber deck replaced with open steel grating.

1952: Abutment and structural repairs, new handrail, cleaning and painting.

1959: Steel repairs to chords, struts, and vertical bracing.

1965: Drainage improvements around footings, repairs to expansion plates at both ends of the bridge, repairs to sidewalk and railing

1970: Repairs to abutment, floor system, and bracing and truss members, draining improvements, cleaning and painting.

1976: Sidewalk repairs.

1979: Abutment and curb repairs, spot deck grating replacement, repairs to upper and lower lateral bracing, cleaning and oiling expansion joints.
 

The bridge is in a deteriorated condition.  Many repairs have been made to reinforce and maintain the bridge, but substantial problems remain.  Bracing members are in a severe state of deterioration, and the abutments are being undermined.  Structural damage is apparently due to age and the corrosive effects of salt and water.  The open grate steel deck also exhibits deterioration, although it has been repaired several times.  The cantilevered sidewalks are also deteriorated and only partially open to pedestrians

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Construction of the foundations for the bridge began in the first half of 1889.  Earth and rock were removed from the edges of the riverbank, and shale was removed to a depth of twenty feet.  Tunnels were steam-drilled into the rock at four locations selected for the supports of the main arch span.  Cut rock was laid in courses and cemented.  Seven-ton granite blocks were placed on top of these skewback supports.  During this phase of work, it was discovered that the arch span would have to be increased twelve feet in length.  This delayed construction and prevented early completion of the bridge.

Recent repair work on the bridge has focused on draining improvements to control erosion around the foundations.  Masonry abutments are located at either end of the bridge and have experienced erosion.

The construction of the false work for the bridge required more time than the iron bridge itself.  Over a million feet of timber were used and each section of wood was framed and shaped at the site from detail drawings.  Because they were considered safer, iron bolts with washers and nuts were used to hold the frame together rather than iron spikes.  The framework was built up 220 feet from the river to a few feet above the present bridge floor.  A fourteen-foot gauge track was laid on top of the false work and a huge traveler was built especially for construction of the bridge.  The traveler was a steam-powered car with four derricks and was used to haul and lower the ironwork for the bridge.  Six of the twelve to fourteen-ton iron rib sections could be lowered into place each day.

After the ironwork was completed, the traveler was used to remove the timber false work and did so in several days.  Very few accidents occurred during construction and these were associated with the building of the false work rather than the ironwork.  Working conditions were poor at times due to the location near the Lower Falls with its frequent heavy mist.  Canvas awnings and rubber suits were used to protect the workers (The Union and Advertiser, November 29, 1890, p. 9).

The bridge is constructed of wrought iron and steel and is of open truss work.  The main arch ribs are composed of rolled wrought iron parts riveted together into sections 30 feet long.  The arch ribs are inclined toward each other and are 20 feet apart at the top of the arch, while at the support points they are 46 feet apart (The Union and Advertiser, January 29, 1890, p. 9).  The bottom chords of the north and south arch rib are braced.  The bridge has a three-hinged arch span to allow for expansion and construction the iron from temperature and load changes.  These hinges are the only pin-connected joints in the structure.  All other joints and connections are riveted.

The bridge has spandrel bracing which was designed for use over deep gorges. This consists of supporting the roadway by columns to the arch.  Sixteen panels (framed by the columns) are present on this bridge and have diagonal lateral bracing and lateral struts.  There is also bottom bracing for the north and south trusses and transverse bracing between the vertical posts for the east and west halves of the arch.

The approach spans are of lattice truss type.  The two 93-foot western spans are connected with a rocking bent, which is a transverse framework for strengthening the bridge.  Expansion joints are present at both approaches to the bridge where the lattice trusses connect with the abutment.

Eight iron stringers underlie the roadway and one runs under each sidewalk. Three timber stringers are located under each sidewalk.  Iron floor beams are present under the roadway.

The deck was originally built of oak timber with pine-cantilevered walkways. This deck was replaced in 1938 by open steel grating.  Since then, portions of the grating have been replaced as needed.

ARCHITECT/ENGINEER

The chief engineer of the Driving Park Avenue Bridge was Lefferts L. Buck. Born in 1837 and died in 1909.  Buck received a degree in civil engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1868.  His primary engineering emphasis was on the design and construction of bridges, and he known as one of the great bridge-builders of his time.

Buck's greatest achievement in engineering was the Williamsburg Bridge in New York, significant for the length of its span. He also built the Niagara Falls Bridge (1895-1898) whose span of 840 feet made it the longest bridge of its kind in the nineteenth century (Condit 1960:
195).  Buck's construction and observation of the Driving Park Avenue Bridge, previous to the construction of the Niagara Falls Bridge, allowed him to modify and improve on the hinged arched truss system.

By increasing the single hinge of Driving Park Avenue Bridge to two in the Niagara Falls Bridge, Buck gained the desired span length.  This did not, however, stop the bridge from collapsing in 1938 when an ice jam in the Niagara River reached the level of the skewback supports and cut the arch at its hinges.

In addition to these bridges mentioned above, Buck also designed the Platt Street Bridge in Rochester.

BUILDER, CONTRACTOR, SUPPLIER

The contract for construction was awarded to the Rochester Bridge and Iron Works located in East Rochester, New York.  The manufacturing complex occupied seven acres of land in 1894 and was known for 'rapid and effective construction of bridges' (History and Commerce of Rochester 1894: 59).  The company was founded in 1871 by Thomas Leighton and by 1885 was owned by John F. Alden a former employee.  Alden graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1872 with a degree in civil engineering.  He constructed many bridges in the United States and Canada as well as large buildings, especially in New York and Chicago.

The Rochester Bridge and Iron Works was responsible for the design and preparation of plans for the false work and scaffolding used to construct the bridge.  It was also responsible for the safety of the scaffolding and the finished bridge until accepted by the chief engineer (L. Buck) (The Union and Advertiser, November 29, 1890, p. 9).  The wrought iron used for the bridge was manufactured at the Rochester Bridge and Iron works.  Alden, together with the assistants, A. M. Mosscrop and F. Pond, worked on the building of the bridge, and J. J. Blake was superintendent of erection for the company (ibid.).

The building of the foundation was subcontracted to Messrs. Chambers and Carey.  The four skewback foundation supports were built, using stone from Chaumont Bay quarries (near Saint Vincent), Portland cement, and were capped with seven-ton granite blocks from the Munson quarries in Massachusetts (The Union Advertiser, November 29, 1890, p. 9).

ROLE OF BRIDGE IN LOCAL AND REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

The Driving Park Avenue Bridge is located north of the Lower Falls of the Genesee River in an area known as Carthage in the early 1800s.  The 1000-acre tract east of the Genesee River was purchased by Elisha B. Strong and a few friends from Canandaigua, New York, in 1816 (Barnes, 1974).  They began selling lots in hopes of building a village to challenge Rochester, 2.5 miles to the south.  One factor favorable to the projected development was the presence of the Ridge Road on the northern boundary of Carthage.  This road was a stimulus to the settlement of western New York, since it was located along the broad smooth ridge of the Niagara Escarpment and was a natural thoroughfare.  A bridge had been built across the Genesee River in Rochester around 1811) and travelers and settlers along the Ridge Road had to go south to the bridge in order to cross the river.

Carthage developers hoped to divert traffic headed south and applied to the state legislature for a loan to build a toll bridge across the river just below the Lower Falls.  Work on what is known as the Carthage Bridge began in 1818.  Since the bridge was to be located 200 feet above the river, it was decided that pier supports were not feasible and that a single round arch of braced timbers would be built.  The bridge weighed 200 tons and was built of pine timber fastened with iron bolts.  It was completed in early 1819 and was a wonder in its time, considering the frontier character of the area in which it was built.  There was a fatal flaw in its manufacture, however, which led to its collapse in 1820.  The top of the arch was too light to withstand the inward pressures exerted by the sides of the bridge and half of the arch fell into the river (Barnes 1974: 9).

Two more bridges were built just south of the Lower Falls but were both washed out.  During the 1800s, the Lower Falls was the location of a number of mills, which relied on waterpower.

By 1823, the Erie Canal was completed to Rochester and this doomed the Carthaginians  hopes while ensuring continued growth in Rochester.  Rochester was granted its first city charter in 1834 and Carthage was annexed to the city.  The city's population grew rapidly and had reached 36,000 by 1850.  In response to a growing recognition that more and better bridges were needed to connect the two halves of Rochester divided by the Genesee River, four bridges were built between 1850 and 1860.  One of these was built at the Lower Falls at the same location as the Carthage Bridge, and the old abutments were used in building what was called the Genesee Suspension Bridge (Hook 1923: 218). The bridge was built by William Kauffman and Josiah W. Bissell.  Construction was begun in 1855, the bridge was opened in mid 1856, and then reopened and closed several times before its collapse in April of 1857 (Barnes 1974: 16-20)

No additional bridges were built at this location until the Driving Park Avenue Bridge was constructed by the city, again during the bridge building program to facilitate communication and access between residents on both sides of the river.  The bridge was completed on December 1, 1890, at a cost of $125,000 (Fisher 1933: 179).  By this time long-span bridges were common and better designed, as evidenced by the long life of this bridge.

The bridge was built using spandrel bracing which is a technique designed especially for bridges over deep gorges   It is thought to be the first spandrel-braced arch truss bridge built in the United States.  It was built at a time when steel was coming into use for bridge construction and is one of the last bridges made primarily of wrought iron.

At the time the bridge was built, many mills were located at the Lower Falls as they had been from the early days of settlement.  The quickly flowing water was used for power in gristmills and other types of manufacturing.  By the late 1800s, recreation facilities such as summer camps had been developed along the lakeshore and at Irondequoit Bay.  The Glen House was built in 1870 at the upper Genesee landing just north of the Lower Falls.  This was the furthest inland boaters could travel from the lake towards Rochester.  The Glen House was located just north of the bridge on the west side of the river and a stairway up to Maplewood Park was built in the early 1870s (MeKelvey 1949: 177).  An elevator was built to carry people down to the Glen House in 1878.  Soon thereafter the Glen House was renovated and a new excursion steamer built to carry passengers down the river to the lake at Charlotte.  As a result, the Lower Falls area was extensively traveled and the Driving Park Avenue Bridge improved access to recreation on the west side of the river.

Early views of the bridge from downstream show the Glen House with its elevator off to one side and the Lower Falls with the mills under the arch span.  The bridge design was quite striking and served to enhance the visual effect of the area.  Today, the Glen House is gone, as are the mills.  Some foundations and assorted rubble are evident and the Rochester Gas and Electric Generating Station is located at the bottom of the gorge southeast of the bridge at one of the former mill sites.  A road has been cut along the east bank of the river to provide access to the power plant.  Despite all these changes the bridge is still impressive and adds to the quality of the environment.  It continues to have a great visual impact and emphasizes the depth (over 200 feet) and narrowness of the gorge at this location.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION
 

A. Original Architectural Drawings:

The original architectural drawings for the Driving Park Avenue Bridge date to 1889-1890 and are available at the Municipal Archives of the City of Rochester.  The drawings and early photographs are housed in the Engineering and Photograph Collections of the Archives on Andrew Street in the city of Rochester.  The collection also houses later drawings of the bridge produced in association with repair and replacement work done on the bridge in the 1900s.  This includes floor beam, stringer and grating drawings from 1939-1939, when the original wood deck was replaced as well as drawings for repairs done in the 1950s - 1970s.

B. Early Views:

Collections of early photographs of the Lower Falls area and the Driving Park Avenue Bridge are available in the Engineering and Photograph Collections at the Municipal Archives of the City of Rochester.  These are housed at the Records Center at 414 Andrews Street, Rochester, New York. Additional collections were located at the Rochester Public Library at South Avenue and Court Street in the Local History Division.  These photographs came from a number of sources including the Rochester Historical Society Collection and the Gannett Newspaper files discards. They are located in files labeled Driving Park Avenue Bridge, Bridges, and Genesee River Lower Falls.  The majority of photographs are poorly documented as to date and photographer and estimates of their age must be inferred based on features of the bridge and the surrounding buildings. Several photographs taken before the bridge was built were also located. In addition, microfilm copies of early Rochester daily newspapers contained some bridge photos.  These are located at the Rochester Public Library.  No negatives were available for any of these early views.

C. Interviews:

Mr. Joseph W. Barnes, historian for the city of Rochester, was interviewed regarding the Driving Park Avenue Bridge.  He provided general historical information as well as his article 'Bridging the Lower Falls.'

Mrs. Elizabeth Holahan, President of the Rochester Historical Society, provided useful information on available sources on the bridge.

Mr. Tim O'Connell, Department of Environmental Services, and Mr. John Noble, coordinator of Records Management for the city of Rochester, provided access to the restricted Engineering and Photograph Collection of the City Archives.  Mr. O'Connell provided useful information on the general history of the area and suggested additional sources to consult.

D. Bibliography:

1. Primary and unpublished sources:

a. Drawings and photographs:

Engineering and Photograph Collection, Municipal Archives, City of Rochester.  Housed at Records Management Center at 414 Andrew Street, Rochester, New York.  All original bridge drawings and a collection of historic photographs were available here.  The Engineering and Photograph Collection has restricted access but may be open on request with specific justification.

Photographic Collection, Rochester Public Library, Local History Division.  South Avenue and Court Street, Rochester, New York.

b. Newspapers:

The Democrat and Chronicle.  Rochester Daily Newspaper,
Rochester, New York.  Contains articles from 1951-1982
discussing bridge closings and repairs.  Specific issues
are:  November 10, 1951; November 24, 1951; November 18,
1952; May 28, 1965; July 21, 1965; March 9, 1968;
January 20, 1970; November 19, 1977; August 15, 1979;
December 28, 1982

The Times Union.  Rochester Daily Newspaper, Rochester,
New York.  Articles on bridge closings and repairs from
1951-1982. Specific issues are:  October 25, 1951;
November 9, 1951; November 14, 1951; May 28, 1965;
May 29, 1965; July 21, 1965; March 18, 1967; March 8,
1968; November 8, 1968; November 15, 1968; May 14, 1970;
June 27, 1970; November 18, 1977; March 3, 1979;
August 24, 1982.

The Union and Advertiser.  Rochester Daily Newspaper, Rochester, New York.  Entries on the Driving Park Avenue Bridge were found in the following issues:  June 22, 1889, p. 2; November 17) 1890, p. 8; November 29, 1890, p. 9; December 1, 1890, p. 6; December 2, 1890, p. 6; October 29, 1892, p. 12; September 2, 1893, p. 9; November 14, 1893, p. 6; February 24, 1894, p. 15; September 8, 1894, p. 14.  Articles primarily dealing with bridge construction and opening were reviewed on microfilm at the Rochester Public Library.

2. Secondary and published sources:

Angle, James H., "Early Genesee River Bridges in Rochester," The Rochester Historical Society Publication Fund Series, Volume 8 (1919): 225-241.  Presents history of Rochester bridges in the early and mid 1800's with brief entries on the bridges built at the Lower Falls.

Barnes, Joseph W., "Bridging the Lower Falls, Rochester History  (January 1974): 1-24.  Contains information on the history of bridges built over the Lower Falls in the 1800s and sets them in the historical context.

City of Rochester Illustrated.  Descriptive, Historical and
Statistical Review.  Rochester, New York: The Post Express
Printing Co., 1890.  Advertisement for Rochester Bridge and
Iron Works on page 51.

Condit, Carl W., American Building Art, The Nineteenth Century, New York:  Oxford University Press, 1960.  History of structural forms and techniques in the United States. Discusses evolution of bridge types from the wooden bridge truss to the concrete arch bridge.

Dictionary of American Biography, 1958 ed., s.v. "Buck, Leffert Lefferts."

Dictionary of American Biography, 1964 ed., s.v. "Alden, John Ferris.

Fisher, Edwin A., 'Engineering and Public Works in the City of
Rochester,' Rochester Historical Society Publication Fund
Series, Volume 12 (1933): 179.  Basic facts on the Driving
Park Avenue Bridge including descriptive details.

History and Commerce of Rochester.  New York:  A. F. Parsons Publishing Company, 1894.  Contains historical information on the Rochester Bridge and Iron Works, page 59.

Hooker, Susan Huntington, "The Rise and Fall of Carthage, The Rochester Historical . Society Publication Fund Series, Volume II (1923): 205-232.  Presents history of Carthage from 1809 to 1850.

Homer's Rochester City Guide and Encyclopedia of Useful Knowledge, Rochester, New York:  W. T. Homer, A.M., 1874. Contains brief information on Leighton Bridge and Iron Works, the predecessor of the Rochester Bridge and Iron Works.

The Industries of the City of Rochester, Rochester, New York:
The Elstner Publishing Co., 1888.  Contains historical information on the Rochester Bridge Works, page 214.

McKelvey, Blake, Rochester the Flower City, 1855-1890, Cambridge,
Massachusetts:  Harvard University Press, 1949.  General history of Rochester from the mid to late 1800's.

New York State Department of Transportation, Preliminary Case Report on Driving Park Avenue Bridge, 1982. Contains information on the bridge, need for a new one, and possible alternatives.

O'Reilly, Henry, Settlement in the West.  Sketches of Rochester with Incidental Notices of Western New York, Rochester: William Ailing, 1838.  Early history of Rochester and vicinity.

Peck, William F., History of Rochester and Monroe County, Syracuse, New York:  D. Mason and Company, 1884.  Contains information on John Alden on page.619.
 

E. Likeiy Sources Not Yet Investigated:

Davis, Bill, 56 Lakeshire, Rochester, New York. knowledgeable in local history.

The Landmark Society of Western New York, 130 Spring Street, Rochester, New York.

Record of American Society of Civil Engineers, for further information on the bridge.

University of Rochester Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, River Campus, Rochester, New York.

Generalized truss diagram of structure
New York State Department of Transportation, Preliminary Case Report on the Driving Park Avenue Bridge