The Frankford Avenue Bridge over Pennypack Creek
Written by April Frantz in the A Place in Time category and the Summer 2019 issue Topics in this article: American Revolution, American Society of Civil Engineers, bridges, King's Highway, National Register of Historic Places, Pennsylvania Historical Marker Program, Pennypack Creek, Philadelphia, transportation, William L. Breton
William Breton’s 1830 lithograph — illuminated in watercolor in 2012 by Huntingdon Valley artist Ellie Moniz — is one of the earliest depictions of the bridge.
Courtesy of Fred Moore, Northeast Philadelphia History Network
In 1830 a Philadelphia journal dedicated to literature and the arts included a lithograph by William Breton (c.1773–1855) featuring the Pennypack Creek Bridge, also known today as the Frankford Avenue Bridge. Breton was based in Philadelphia and focused his work on local landmarks and bucolic settings. The bridge satisfied both inclinations. As described in the journal, it was already recognized as “one of the oldest in Pennsylvania, and its present state of preservation proves the attention which our forefathers bestowed on their architecture. Its solidity is calculated to endure for the ages.” Today, it is the country’s oldest extant vehicular bridge.
The north elevation of the bridge before reconstruction.
Courtesy of Transystems Corp.
In 2018 the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) completed a rehabilitation of the bridge to ensure its continuing viability. The bridge was built around 1697 at a convenient spot in a creek that was long forded by Native Americans and early Swedish settlers. It carries Frankford Avenue (U.S. 13) over the Pennypack Creek in Philadelphia’s Holmesburg neighborhood. The three-span stone arch bridge’s length between abutments is 73 feet.
The bridge was an important structure on the colonial-era King’s Highway, which eventually connected Philadelphia to New York and other major eastern cities. It was built following passage of
a law requiring construction of bridges across all creeks and rivers along the King’s Highway that were to be built by local residents or funded by those who would rather pay a fine of 20 shillings than provide the labor for bridge construction. Pennsylvania’s laws often required residents to spend time annually clearing routes for roads or building bridges.
In September 1781 American and French troops traveled the King’s Highway—and over this bridge—on their way to Yorktown, Virginia, to fight the battle that would end the American Revolutionary War.
The north elevation of the bridge during reconstruction.
Courtesy of Transystems Corp.
The Frankford & Bristol Turnpike Co., formed in the early 1800s, paved the road and the bridge for the first time around 1803. A tollgate was placed at one end of the bridge and continued to operate until the turnpike was sold to the city of Philadelphia in 1892. The bridge was widened in 1893 to accommodate trolleys serving the rapidly developing residential area by expanding its southern side.
Motorists driving along Frankford Avenue today will barely realize that they are traveling across a historic bridge. Visitors to Philadelphia’s 1,600-acre Pennypack Park, however, can enjoy the picturesque view of the bridge from the trail adjacent to the creek. The park, established in 1905 to protect the city’s watersheds, includes the bridge and a number of other historic resources along its recreational trails.
The north elevation of the bridge after reconstruction.
Courtesy of Transystems Corp.
Last year’s project included rebuilding the north spandrel wall, repointing stone masonry, and reconstructing parapet walls. PennDOT estimates that the bridge carries at least 14,000 vehicles a day. An adjacent millrace culvert was also rehabilitated as part of the project.
The Frankford Avenue Bridge over Pennypack Creek is considered an engineering landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and received a Pennsylvania Historical Marker in October 2012.
The south elevation of the bridge after reconstruction. Courtesy of Transystems Corp.
Recent listings in the National Register of Historic Places include Berks County Trust Co., Reading; Charles Carroll Public School, Philadelphia; Crown Can Co., Philadelphia; Ford Motor Co. Assembly Plant, Pittsburgh; Frick Park, Pittsburgh; Ivy Cottage, West Whiteland Township, Chester County; M. Hall Stanton Public School, Philadelphia; Schubert-Graber Log-Post Shop, Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County; Strawbridge & Clothier Warehouse, Philadelphia; and William Brown Co. Hosiery Mill, Philadelphia.
April E. Frantz is a historic preservation specialist who reviews National Register nominations in PHMC’s State Historic Preservation Office.
