Newkirk Viaduct Monument
Encyclopedia
The Newkirk Viaduct Monument was erected in 1838 at the completion of the Gray's Ferry Bridge
in Philadelphia. The bridge was then known as the Newkirk Viaduct, and a monumental obelisk was erected to commemorate its completion. It was surrounded by an iron fence on a high bank in the lee formed by the junction of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
and the Chester Branch of the Philadelphia and Reading Railway, just below the western end of the bridge. It is located at +39° 56' 22.20", -75° 12' 38.26" , and is visible on the north side of the railroad tracks from Amtrak Northeast corridor trains between Wilmington and Philadelphia, and from SEPTA Regional Rail trains on the SEPTA Airport Line and the SEPTA Wilmington/Newark line just before trains pass under the 49th Street Bridge.
The 30 foot obelisk is of white marble with a base 10 feet square. The main body of the monument is slightly smaller with a tapering marble shaft on top.
Currently the monument is in disrepair, is abandoned and nearly forgotten.
. The path of the railroad closely paralled the King's Highway
(the main land route to the southern states). The completion of the viaduct was an important link which is why the builders chose to commemorate it.
The obelisk is known as the Newkirk Monument in honor of Matthew Newkirk (1794-1868), a Philadelphia business and civic leader who was president of the merged company, the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
. The first bridge at Grays Ferry, by which the railroad was extended into the city late in 1838, was known as the Newkirk Viaduct.
Gray's Ferry Bridge
The modern Gray's Ferry Bridge is a four-lane divided highway bridge, built in 1976, which carries Grays Ferry Avenue across the Schuylkill River and AMTRAK tracks in the Grays Ferry neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Gray's Ferry:...
in Philadelphia. The bridge was then known as the Newkirk Viaduct, and a monumental obelisk was erected to commemorate its completion. It was surrounded by an iron fence on a high bank in the lee formed by the junction of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
The Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad was the Pennsylvania Railroad's main line from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania southwest to Baltimore, Maryland in the 19th and early 20th centuries...
and the Chester Branch of the Philadelphia and Reading Railway, just below the western end of the bridge. It is located at +39° 56' 22.20", -75° 12' 38.26" , and is visible on the north side of the railroad tracks from Amtrak Northeast corridor trains between Wilmington and Philadelphia, and from SEPTA Regional Rail trains on the SEPTA Airport Line and the SEPTA Wilmington/Newark line just before trains pass under the 49th Street Bridge.
The 30 foot obelisk is of white marble with a base 10 feet square. The main body of the monument is slightly smaller with a tapering marble shaft on top.
Currently the monument is in disrepair, is abandoned and nearly forgotten.
History
The monument was built to commemorate the completion of the railroad between Philadelphia and BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
. The path of the railroad closely paralled the King's Highway
King's Highway (Charleston to Boston)
The King's Highway is a route over in length in the eastern United States. It joins Charleston, South Carolina, to Boston, Massachusetts. It was named after Charles II of England, who in 1650 directed his colonial governors to build it. It did not become a continuous wagon road until 1735...
(the main land route to the southern states). The completion of the viaduct was an important link which is why the builders chose to commemorate it.
The obelisk is known as the Newkirk Monument in honor of Matthew Newkirk (1794-1868), a Philadelphia business and civic leader who was president of the merged company, the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
The Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad was the Pennsylvania Railroad's main line from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania southwest to Baltimore, Maryland in the 19th and early 20th centuries...
. The first bridge at Grays Ferry, by which the railroad was extended into the city late in 1838, was known as the Newkirk Viaduct.