Middlesex COUNTY · Bridges & transportation
East Haddam’s swing bridge
A movable river crossing that changed journeys between Haddam and East Haddam.
Historical focus · 1894–1999
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The story in photographs
5 October 2011
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Image credit & source
Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
No known restrictions on publication. Carol M. Highsmith photographs at the Library of Congress.
Original source · Reuse terms5 October 2011
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Image credit & source
Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
No known restrictions on publication. Carol M. Highsmith photographs at the Library of Congress.
Original source · Reuse terms5 October 2011
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Image credit & source
Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
No known restrictions on publication. Carol M. Highsmith photographs at the Library of Congress.
Original source · Reuse terms5 October 2011
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Image credit & source
Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
No known restrictions on publication. Carol M. Highsmith photographs at the Library of Congress.
Original source · Reuse terms5 October 2011
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Image credit & source
Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
No known restrictions on publication. Carol M. Highsmith photographs at the Library of Congress.
Original source · Reuse terms5 October 2011
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Image credit & source
Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
No known restrictions on publication. Carol M. Highsmith photographs at the Library of Congress.
Original source · Reuse terms5 October 2011
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Image credit & source
Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
No known restrictions on publication. Carol M. Highsmith photographs at the Library of Congress.
Original source · Reuse terms5 October 2011
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Image credit & source
Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
No known restrictions on publication. Carol M. Highsmith photographs at the Library of Congress.
Original source · Reuse terms5 October 2011
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Image credit & source
Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
No known restrictions on publication. Carol M. Highsmith photographs at the Library of Congress.
Original source · Reuse terms9 October 2011
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
East Haddam Bridge over the Connecticut River, East Haddam, Connecticut — later documentary photograph
Image credit & source
Carol M. Highsmith / The George F. Landegger Collection of Connecticut Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
No known restrictions on publication. Carol M. Highsmith photographs at the Library of Congress.
Original source · Reuse termsTHE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTOGRAPHS
People, places, and change.
Before the bridge
Ferries long connected the two sides of the Connecticut River. East Haddam’s municipal history dates the service to 1695, and the town’s account describes a steam ferry introduced in 1894. The approach to the twentieth century brought a more permanent solution, while the river still needed to remain open to navigation. [1] [2]
The crossing of 1913
The bridge opened in 1913 and brought the old ferry service to an end. Its movable section swings aside for vessels instead of permanently blocking the channel. Road traffic and river traffic therefore use the same crossing in alternating movements, an operating requirement reflected in the structure’s engineering. [2] [3]
Reading a working structure
The engineering firm’s description distinguishes fixed truss spans from the through-truss swing section. The later photographs gathered here show the historic crossing’s steelwork and river setting. Their 2011 dates are clearly identified: they document the survival of the 1913 bridge rather than claiming to show its opening. [3]
Sources & further reading (3)
Keep the sources close.
Download this collection’s notes, timeline and image credits. Photographs link to their original archives and require an internet connection.
Building dates and photograph dates are recorded separately. Later photographs are identified in their captions; unknown exposure dates remain unknown. Follow each image’s credit and reuse terms.