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Lower Rollstone Street Bridge

   

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Bridge Documented: July 13, 2008

Primary Photographer(s): Nathan Holth and Rick McOmber

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Key Facts

	Bridge Name	Facility Carried / Feature Intersected	Location	Structure Type	Construction Date and Builder/Engineer
	Lower Rollstone Street Bridge	Lower Rollstone Street Over Nashua River	Fitchburg: Worcester County, Massachusetts	Metal 11 Panel Pin-Connected Bowstring Pony Truss, Fixed	1870 By Builder/Contractor: National Bridge Company of Boston, Massachusetts

Technical Facts

Rehabilitation Date	Main Span Length	Structure Length	Roadway Width	Main Spans	NBI Number
1980	105 Feet (32 Meters)	111 Feet (33.8 Meters)	26.6 Feet (8.1 Meters)	1	TWN387001100

View Archived National Bridge Inventory Report - Has Additional Details and Evaluation

View Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) Documentation For This Bridge

HAER Data Pages, PDF

This bridge is nationally significant as an early example of a truss bridge which used standard interchangeable parts, early enough that the patent that was given to Parker for the design of this bridge and others like it built during the time was done partially for this reason. Unlike bridges before it, the bridge design and proportions could remain constant regardless of the size of the bridge being built. The Charles H. Parker who patented this design is also the same person for whom the Parker truss configuration is named for. It is important to note that the Lower Rollstone Bridge is a bowstring truss following the Parker patent, not a Parker truss itself. However the bridge should be considered further significant as a bridge directly associated with a famous truss bridge engineer.

The bridge is also an early example of a metal bowstring truss bridge,  and a noteworthy example of the National Bridge Company's and Parker's take on the bowstring design. Bridge companies had their own very unique bowstring designs during the 1870s as they all experimented with iron to try to find the best way to use the material for the purpose of bridge building. This design of bowstring features a rather massive top chord that includes a corrugation in the interior. The bridge features comparatively lightweight diagonal members. A unique visual detail is the distinctive decorative bollard/post attachments that attach to the actual endpost. Serving as a decorative accent to the bridge, these bollard/posts display the bridge company name.

This nationally significant historic bridge has simply been abandoned and is in an overgrown area where it is difficult to be able to appreciate and enjoy the bridge. A suggested preservation solution for this bridge would be to relocate and restore the structure into a park or non-motorized path. Any restoration project done on this bridge should be of the most meticulous kind, with care being taken to maintain every aspect of the historic integrity of the bridge and its original materials. No parts or materials on this bridge should be replaced with modern substitutes, including rivets. Although the bridge appears to retain good structural integrity, if any parts did need to be replaced, they should be exactly replicated.

Photos and Videos: Lower Rollstone Street Bridge

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Click on a thumbnail or gallery name below to visit that particular photo gallery. If videos are available, click on a video name to view and/or download that particular video.

 

	Bridge Photo-Documentation Original / Full Size Photos	A collection of overview and detail photos. For the best visual immersion and full detail, or for use as a desktop background, this gallery presents the photos for this bridge in the original digital camera resolution.
	Bridge Photo-Documentation Mobile Optimized Gallery	A collection of overview and detail photos. View the photos for this bridge in a reduced size which is useful for mobile/smartphone users, modem (dial-up) users, or those who do not wish to wait for the longer download times of the full-size photos. Alternatively, view this photo gallery using a popup slideshow viewer (great for mobile users) by clicking the link below. Browse Gallery With Popup Viewer

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