Tuesday, January 11, 2011
☞ REMEMBER: The Harlem River High Bridge
Channel Thirteen has just posted another great City Concealed documentary up today and the focus is now the city's oldest bridge which straddles the Harlem River at 173rd Street. The High Bridge over the Harlem River has been around since 1848 and was originally modeled after the great Roman aqueducts both visually and also for the function of transporting water before it became a famous promenade in the early 1900's. That steel center section was a 20th century "restoration" that was also a controversial one since it removed several of the center granite arches. The walkway at the top with the mountain top view of Manhattan and the Bronx has been closed since the 1970's but the Parks department plans to get it up and going again by 2013. Check out www.Thirteen.org for more details: LINK
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Great video and valuable information on this spectacular bridge. Like most New Yorkers, I never knew the missing five stone arches and always liked the elegant long single steel span, however a Roman viaduct would be nicer. I think the late John Lennon would also have preferred a viaduct as he regarded New York as a modern day Rome.
ReplyDeleteI’m impressed with the construction of this bridge and it may have lasted thousands of years like some of the ancient Roman viaducts as being made of granite which we know as an extremely strong building material.
ReplyDeleteIs that really called the Harlem High Bridge? It's in Washington Heights.
ReplyDelete"Harlem High Bridge" isn't it's real name as far as I know. I heard it was just Aqueduct Bridge, as it used to carry water to the City [days of the Croton]. I haven't heard it being called Harlem High Bridge ever though...just High Bridge. *shrug*
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