Market Street Bridge (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania)
The Market Street Bridge is a distinguished concrete arch bridge that crosses the Susquehanna River between Kingston and Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
Market Street Bridge | |
![]() Market Street Bridge in 1982 | |
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| Location | Market St./LR 11 over Susquehanna River, Kingston and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°14′55″N 75°53′7″W |
| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Built | 1926-1929 |
| Built by | Rae, Walter S. |
| Architect | Carrère and Hastings |
| MPS | Highway Bridges Owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Transportation TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 88000873[1] |
| Added to NRHP | June 22, 1988 |
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[1]
History and notable features
This bridge was designed by the architectural firm of Carrère and Hastings with consulting engineers Benjamin H. Davis and David A. Keefe,[2] and was built between 1926 and 1929.[3] The bridge is 1,274.3-foot-long (388.4 m) with twelve spans, including four main spans measuring 120-foot-long (37 m) each.[4] Six of the twelve arches are open spandrels.
The architects designed four triumphal arches (or pylons) surmounted by limestone eagles with partially spread wings, intended as a memorial to veterans of the First World War.[5][6] The paired pylons, two at each side of the bridge, are connected by a classical balustrade running the full length of the bridge.
In 1988, the bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[1][7]
Gallery
Market Street Bridge
Pylon and span
Market Street Bridge entering Wilkes-Barre
Postcard showing the bridge and Wilkes-Barre skyline
North face
Suggested plan for the bridge
Construction
Northeast pylon with Hotel Sterling in background
Facing east from the bridge
East entrance of bridge
East entrance of bridge
East entrance of bridge, with flood walls installed
View of stairs and guardrail
Underside of a span
Aerial view of Wilkes-Barre and the Market Street Bridge (seen on right)
References
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- "- Market Street Bridge, Spanning North Branch of Susquehanna River, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, PA". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
- "Walk Wilkes-Barre Celebrating Wilkes-Barre's Bicentennial: 1806-2006" (PDF). p. 9. Retrieved 2018-04-03.
- "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Note: This includes Edward P. Osnick (August 1983). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Market Street Bridge" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-09.
- "Record Market Street Bridge Eagles, (sculpture) | Collections Search Center, Smithsonian Institution". collections.si.edu. Retrieved 2018-04-03.
- "Market Street Bridge -- National Register of Historic Places Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Travel Itinerary". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-03.
- "| Market Street Bridge inspected". www.timesleader.com. 19 June 2015. Retrieved 2018-04-03.
External links
Media related to Market Street Bridge (Wilkes-Barre) at Wikimedia Commons
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. PA-342, "Market Street Bridge, Spanning North Branch of Susquehanna River, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, PA", 41 photos, 16 data pages, 5 photo caption pages




