Theodore Burr
Encyclopedia
Theodore Burr was an inventor from Torringford, Connecticut
, who was credited with the Burr Arch Truss
bridge design and was cousin of vice president Aaron Burr
. Theodore Burr came to Oxford, New York
in 1792. By 1794, he had built a grist mill (once owned by Fletcher & Corbin), and a dam to power the mill. In 1800 he built the first stringer bridge across the Chenango River
in Oxford. From 1809-1811, he built an impressive Federal style house on the site of an ancient Indian Fort (at 8 Fort Hill Park) for his family. (Wings were added to both sides of the house at a later and unknown date.) The building still stands and houses the Oxford Memorial Library
.
Around 1804, Burr built the first "sizable bridge" crossing New York
's Hudson River
, at Waterford, New York. It lasted until 1909, when it was destroyed by fire. The "Burr arch truss", used two long arches, resting on the abutments on either end, that typically sandwiched a multiple kingpost structure. Theodore Burr built nearly every bridge that crossed the Susquehanna River
from Binghamton, New York
, to Maryland
in those days. His successes made him the most distinguished architect of bridges in the country. Today's modern bridges with their graceful arches can be traced back to Theodore Burr and his contemporaries.
Between 1811 and 1818, Burr designed, then constructed or supervised, five crossings of the Susquehanna River. The first four were in Pennsylvania
at Nescopeck Falls (Berwick
), Columbia
, Harrisburg
, and Northumberland
. The last was the 4170 feet (1,271 m) Susquehanna River Bridge
near Port Deposit, Maryland
.
Burr was awarded US Patent No. 2769 on April 4, 1817 for his arch and truss bridge design.
Torrington, Connecticut
Torrington is the largest city in Litchfield County, Connecticut and the northwestern Connecticut region. It is also the core city of the largest micropolitan area in the United States. The city population was 36,383 according to the 2010 census....
, who was credited with the Burr Arch Truss
Burr Truss
The Burr Arch Truss — or simply Burr Truss or Burr Arch — is a combination of an arch and a multiple kingpost truss design. It was invented in 1804 by Theodore Burr, patented on April 3, 1817, and used in bridges, usually covered bridges....
bridge design and was cousin of vice president Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
. Theodore Burr came to Oxford, New York
Oxford (village), New York
Oxford is a village in Chenango County, New York, USA. The population was 1,584 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Oxford, Massachusetts, the hometown of the landowner....
in 1792. By 1794, he had built a grist mill (once owned by Fletcher & Corbin), and a dam to power the mill. In 1800 he built the first stringer bridge across the Chenango River
Chenango River
The Chenango River is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in central New York in the United States. It drains a dissected plateau area in upstate New York at the northern end of the Susquehanna watershed....
in Oxford. From 1809-1811, he built an impressive Federal style house on the site of an ancient Indian Fort (at 8 Fort Hill Park) for his family. (Wings were added to both sides of the house at a later and unknown date.) The building still stands and houses the Oxford Memorial Library
Theodore Burr House
Theodore Burr House, also known as Oxford Memorial Library, is a historic home located at Oxford in Chenango County, New York. It is a box like, wood-frame 2-story building with recessed -story wings. It was built between 1810 and 1812 by Theodore Burr , one of the founding settlers of Oxford...
.
Around 1804, Burr built the first "sizable bridge" crossing New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
, at Waterford, New York. It lasted until 1909, when it was destroyed by fire. The "Burr arch truss", used two long arches, resting on the abutments on either end, that typically sandwiched a multiple kingpost structure. Theodore Burr built nearly every bridge that crossed the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
from Binghamton, New York
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
, to Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
in those days. His successes made him the most distinguished architect of bridges in the country. Today's modern bridges with their graceful arches can be traced back to Theodore Burr and his contemporaries.
Between 1811 and 1818, Burr designed, then constructed or supervised, five crossings of the Susquehanna River. The first four were in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
at Nescopeck Falls (Berwick
Berwick, Pennsylvania
Berwick is a borough in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, 22.6 miles southwest of Wilkes Barre. Berwick is one of two principal cities of the Bloomsburg–Berwick Micropolitan Statistical Area, a micropolitan area that covers Columbia and Montour counties and had a combined population of 82,387...
), Columbia
Columbia, Pennsylvania
Columbia, once colonial Wright's Ferry, is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 28 miles southeast of Harrisburg on the left bank Susquehanna River across from Wrightsville and York County. Originally, the area may have been called Conejohela Flats, for the many islands and islets in the...
, Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, and Northumberland
Northumberland, Pennsylvania
Northumberland is a borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,714 at the 2000 census.-History:Northumberland was founded in 1772. The land that became Northumberland was purchased from the Iroquois in the first Treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1768, and the...
. The last was the 4170 feet (1,271 m) Susquehanna River Bridge
Port Deposit Bridge
The Port Deposit Bridge was the earliest bridge crossing of the Susquehanna River below Columbia, Pennsylvania, providing the first reliable link between the northern and southern United States. The bridge was also the fifth and last of Theodore Burr's Susquehanna crossings...
near Port Deposit, Maryland
Port Deposit, Maryland
Port Deposit is a town in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. It is located on the north bank of the Susquehanna River near its discharge into the Chesapeake Bay...
.
Burr was awarded US Patent No. 2769 on April 4, 1817 for his arch and truss bridge design.