Bridge in East Fallowfield Township (Mortonville, Pennsylvania)
Encyclopedia
The Mortonville Bridge and Mill Race Bridge are stone arch bridge
s carrying Strasburg Road
across the West Branch Brandywine Creek
and an abandoned millrace at Mortonville, Pennsylvania
. The Mortonville Bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
on September 18, 1985, while the Mill Race Bridge was added as the Bridge in East Fallowfield Township on June 22, 1988. The Mortonville Bridge was removed from the Register on July 16, 2010, following reconstruction; the Mill Race Bridge remains registered.
The first bridges on the site were probably built about 1772 when Strasburg Road was surveyed and constructed. A wooden bridge over the Brandywine was built in 1789. Of the current bridges, the millrace bridge was built about 1800 as a single stone arch, using stone from a local quarry upstream. It spanned the head race
for Hayes Mill. A four-arch stone bridge over the Brandywine replaced the 1789 wooden structure in 1826, also using local stone.
From the 1980s to 2002, PennDOT put forth a series of plans for the replacement of both bridges by a single modern structure. However, local opposition was considerable, and PennDOT ultimately rebuilt and widened the bridge by 6 feet in 2009 during a 10-month closure. It was closed again in 2010 to lengthen retaining walls on the approach.
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
s carrying Strasburg Road
Strasburg Road
Strasburg Road was an early road in Pennsylvania connecting Philadelphia to Strasburg in Lancaster County. The route was surveyed by John Sellers and others in 1772-3 under the colonial administration of Governor Richard Penn and completed under the new administration of the independent state of...
across the West Branch Brandywine Creek
West Branch Brandywine Creek
The West Branch Brandywine Creek is a tributary of Brandywine Creek in Chester County, Pennsylvania in the United States.The West Branch Brandywine Creek is born near the community of Honey Brook. It later joins with the East Branch Brandywine Creek in the community of Lenape to form Brandywine...
and an abandoned millrace at Mortonville, Pennsylvania
Mortonville, Pennsylvania
Mortonville is an unincorporated area and historic hamlet in Chester County, Pennsylvania on the eastern bank of the West Branch Brandywine Creek. It consists of about a half-dozen structures, two of which are on the National Register of Historic Places: the Mortonville Hotel, and the "Bridge in...
. The Mortonville Bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on September 18, 1985, while the Mill Race Bridge was added as the Bridge in East Fallowfield Township on June 22, 1988. The Mortonville Bridge was removed from the Register on July 16, 2010, following reconstruction; the Mill Race Bridge remains registered.
The first bridges on the site were probably built about 1772 when Strasburg Road was surveyed and constructed. A wooden bridge over the Brandywine was built in 1789. Of the current bridges, the millrace bridge was built about 1800 as a single stone arch, using stone from a local quarry upstream. It spanned the head race
Head race
A head race is a time-trial competition in the sport of rowing, also known as crew to a few USA organizations. Head races are typically held in the fall and spring seasons. These events draw many athletes as well as observers...
for Hayes Mill. A four-arch stone bridge over the Brandywine replaced the 1789 wooden structure in 1826, also using local stone.
From the 1980s to 2002, PennDOT put forth a series of plans for the replacement of both bridges by a single modern structure. However, local opposition was considerable, and PennDOT ultimately rebuilt and widened the bridge by 6 feet in 2009 during a 10-month closure. It was closed again in 2010 to lengthen retaining walls on the approach.