Litchfield COUNTY · Industry & transport
Boardman Bridge: ironwork over the Housatonic
Twelve engineering photographs follow a lenticular bridge from its ornamented entrance to the connections beneath its deck, as a replacement crossing rises nearby.
Historical focus · 1887–1980s, with preservation context
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The story in photographs
1984 — later survey photograph
General 'barrel shot'
General 'barrel shot'. 1984 — later survey photograph.
Image credit & source
Jet Lowe; Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress
No known restrictions on photographs made by the U.S. Government. This selection excludes identified third-party photocopies.
Original source · Reuse terms1984 — later survey photograph
Detail 3/4 view showing bridge plate and portal decoration
Detail 3/4 view showing bridge plate and portal decoration. 1984 — later survey photograph.
Image credit & source
Jet Lowe; Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress
No known restrictions on photographs made by the U.S. Government. This selection excludes identified third-party photocopies.
Original source · Reuse terms1984 — later survey photograph
General 3/4 view with new bridge construction in right foreground
General 3/4 view with new bridge construction in right foreground. 1984 — later survey photograph.
Image credit & source
Jet Lowe; Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress
No known restrictions on photographs made by the U.S. Government. This selection excludes identified third-party photocopies.
Original source · Reuse terms1984 — later survey photograph
General 3/4 view with new bridge construction on left
General 3/4 view with new bridge construction on left. 1984 — later survey photograph.
Image credit & source
Jet Lowe; Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress
No known restrictions on photographs made by the U.S. Government. This selection excludes identified third-party photocopies.
Original source · Reuse terms1984 — later survey photograph
General elevation view with new bridge construction on far side of bridge
General elevation view with new bridge construction on far side of bridge. 1984 — later survey photograph.
Image credit & source
Jet Lowe; Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress
No known restrictions on photographs made by the U.S. Government. This selection excludes identified third-party photocopies.
Original source · Reuse terms1984 — later survey photograph
General elevation view with new bridge foundation in right foreground
General elevation view with new bridge foundation in right foreground. 1984 — later survey photograph.
Image credit & source
Jet Lowe; Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress
No known restrictions on photographs made by the U.S. Government. This selection excludes identified third-party photocopies.
Original source · Reuse terms1984 — later survey photograph
Detail view of bottom chord and flooring system
Detail view of bottom chord and flooring system. 1984 — later survey photograph.
Image credit & source
Jet Lowe; Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress
No known restrictions on photographs made by the U.S. Government. This selection excludes identified third-party photocopies.
Original source · Reuse terms1984 — later survey photograph
Detail view of upper and lower chords taken from bridge deck
Detail view of upper and lower chords taken from bridge deck. 1984 — later survey photograph.
Image credit & source
Jet Lowe; Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress
No known restrictions on photographs made by the U.S. Government. This selection excludes identified third-party photocopies.
Original source · Reuse terms1984 — later survey photograph
Detail view showing lateral bracing
Detail view showing lateral bracing. 1984 — later survey photograph.
Image credit & source
Jet Lowe; Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress
No known restrictions on photographs made by the U.S. Government. This selection excludes identified third-party photocopies.
Original source · Reuse terms1984 — later survey photograph
Detail view of portal bracing taken from bridge deck
Detail view of portal bracing taken from bridge deck. 1984 — later survey photograph.
Image credit & source
Jet Lowe; Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress
No known restrictions on photographs made by the U.S. Government. This selection excludes identified third-party photocopies.
Original source · Reuse terms1984 — later survey photograph
Detail view of bottom chord connection
Detail view of bottom chord connection. 1984 — later survey photograph.
Image credit & source
Jet Lowe; Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress
No known restrictions on photographs made by the U.S. Government. This selection excludes identified third-party photocopies.
Original source · Reuse terms1984 — later survey photograph
Detail view of bridge plate
Detail view of bridge plate. 1984 — later survey photograph.
Image credit & source
Jet Lowe; Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress
No known restrictions on photographs made by the U.S. Government. This selection excludes identified third-party photocopies.
Original source · Reuse termsTHE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTOGRAPHS
People, places, and change.
A crossing for a working landscape
Built in 1887–88 by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company, Boardman Bridge connected routes used by farmers, lime-quarry workers and a nearby workers’ village. New Milford’s local guide describes a community with a school, store and railroad stop. The crossing’s significance was practical as well as architectural: a reliable route across the Housatonic joined homes, production and markets. The historic span measures 188 feet. [2] [1]
Read the curve, then the connections
A lenticular truss has a lens-like outline formed by its upper and lower chords. The federal photographs record both that overall shape and the individual joints, lateral bracing, portal bracing and flooring system. Begin with the view through the bridge, then compare the side views and details. The decorative bridge plate and entrance ornament remind us that an industrial structure could also be a carefully presented gateway. [1]
Two bridges in one frame
Several captions explicitly identify new bridge construction or foundations beside the older span. These photographs preserve a transition, not simply an isolated antique. The 1984 survey narrative said replacement was planned for 1985. Although a catalog field labels 1985 as demolition, the surviving historic bridge is documented by New Milford’s later local guide. We therefore do not repeat that field as evidence that the old bridge disappeared. [1] [2]
Preservation after traffic
The local guide describes the old bridge as closed to both vehicles and pedestrians and discusses efforts to restore it. Its value in this archive is the ability to inspect parts that are difficult to see from the roadside: the bottom chord, floor system and connections at the ends of the truss. Consult current local information before planning access; these survey images describe a historical recording campaign. [2] [1]
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.