On my way with the kids to Duke Island Park a couple of weeks ago, I pulled off Old York Road to take a few photos of the Hibernia Mine Railroad Bridge.
Constructed in 1879 for the Hibernia Mine Railroad, and used as a railroad bridge for fifteen years, the structure has now been incorporated as part of Somerset County's Raritan River Greenway and is in use as a pedestrian bridge over the Raritan Water Power Canal.
The bridge also received a restoration award earlier this year [2010] from the Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission.
The span also has a connection to Hillsborough Township history. In 1894, The Central Railroad of New Jersey bought the bridge and moved it from Morris County to Hillsborough - but not for use by their trains. The bridge was used to carry carriages - and eventually horseless carriages - on Mill Lane over the tracks of the CNJ's South Branch Railroad as part of a grade-separation project.
Below is a photo taken by rail enthusiast Michael Kull in the early 1980s showing the bridge in its second location at the end of Mill Lane in Hillsborough.
Hi Greg,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your write-up on the Hibernia bridge. One of the rare features of the bridge is the use of built-up, riveted iron columns (Phoenix Columns) as compression members.
Would mind adding what you know about the bridge to it's page on bridgehunter: http://bridgehunter.com/nj/somerset/bh49640/
Especially the history you described and the 1980s picture.
Sincerely,
Art S.
I grew up on south branch Rd and we used to cross that bridge on our bikes to get to neshanic so we could swim at the falls.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the memories.
And go to the flea market on Sunday mornings
DeleteI'm not 100% familiar with that area - where is this map-wise? (Though I'm pretty sure I know where the previous location was in Hillsborough) :)
ReplyDelete