sarah mildred long bridge haer nh-52 (maine ......haer no. nh-52 location: route 1 bypass between...

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HAER NH-52HAER NH-52

SARAH MILDRED LONG BRIDGE(Maine-New Hampshire Interstate Bridge)Spanning the Piscatauqua River between Portsmouth, NewHampshire and Kittery, MainePortsmouthRockingham CountyNew Hampshire

HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING RECORDNORTHEAST REGIONAL OFFICE

National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Custom House, 3rd Floor

200 Chestnut StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19106

HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING RECORD SARAH MILDRED LONG BRIDGE

(Maine-New Hampshire Interstate Bridge) HAER No. NH-52

Location: Route 1 Bypass between Kittery, Maine and Portsmouth, NH.

The bridge spans the Piscataqua River southeast of I-95 and the Piscataqua River Bridge. Sarah Mildred Long Bridge is located at latitude: 43.08594, longitude: -70.76081. The coordinate represents the center of the structure’s southern lift span tower. This coordinate was obtained on August 18, 2014, using GIS software. The accuracy of the coordinate is +/- 5 meters. The coordinate’s datum is North American Datum 1983. The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge location has no restriction on its release to the public.

Present Owner: Maine-New Hampshire Interstate Bridge Authority

Present Use: Road Bridge

Significance: This vertical lift span was constructed in 1938-1940 over the Piscataqua River, engineered by the prominent firm of Harrington & Cortelyou with new refinements to the movable bridge design. The bridge features the motors on the towers rather than the lift span itself, with synchronous motors allowing for level raising of the span, which are uncommon refinements used on few vertical lift spans nationwide. In addition, the bridge incorporates an upper level for highway traffic and a lower level for railroad traffic.

Project Information: The Maine Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, is planning to replace the existing Sarah Mildred Long Bridge. Documentation was agreed upon for the rail replacement project between FHWA, the MHPC, NHDHR, MaineDOT, and NHDOT. The photographs for this documentation were taken April 2012, and the report was completed May 2015.

Historians: Primary authors:

Carol Hooper, Chief Historian, Preservation Company, Kensington, NH

SARAH MILDRED LONG BRIDGE HAER No. NH-52

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Lynne Monroe, Principal, Preservation Company, Kensington, NH Edited with additions by: Nicole Benjamin-Ma, Preservation Planner, VHB, Watertown, MA Timothy Bryant, Director of Structural Engineering, VHB, Portand, ME Rita Walsh, Senior Preservation Planner, VHB, Watertown, MA Photographs by: Charley Freiburg, Charley Freiburg Photography, Wilmot, NH


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PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION1

A. Physical History: 1. Date of construction:

Construction began on the bridge in December 1938, and the bridge opened to traffic in November 1940.

2. Architect/Engineer:

The Interstate Bridge Authority (IBA) chose the Kansas City firm of Harrington & Cortelyou as engineers for the project, after interviewing several competing engineering firms on October 8, 1937.2 Harrington & Cortelyou was considered a leading bridge engineering firm in the United States, and letters between the firm and the IBA indicate that the firm was involved in the project several months before the engineering firm presentations were made.3

Both partners, John Lyle Harrington (1868-1942) and Frank Cortelyou (1886-1976), had several years of experience in civil engineering and bridge design. Harrington was born in Lawrence, Kansas, and graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in civil engineering in 1895. He worked for John Alexander Low Waddell (1854-1938), a Kansas City bridge designer, without pay during the summer months during the school year and for nine months following his graduation. During this period, Waddell developed one of his most well-known designs, the steam-powered high-lift bridge, used over the Chicago River. Following his time with Waddell, Harrington took a series of jobs with bridge fabricators in Pennsylvania and New York, and in 1905, he became Chief Engineer and Manager of the Locomotive and Machine Company of Montreal. Two years later, he re-joined his old mentor Waddell as a partner in his firm, then called Waddell & Harrington.4 Their seven-year collaboration resulted in the design of more than 30 vertical-lift bridges. Harrington left the partnership in 1914, and founded Harrington, Howard, and Ash the same year.

1 This historical narrative is based largely on an extensive New Hampshire Individual Inventory Form for the bridge (POR0019), prepared for the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources in 2009. The authors were Carol Hooper and Lynne Monroe of Preservation Company. VHB edited and compiled the information into this report and provided additional information specific to the context of the bridge in the State of Maine. 2 Other firms bidding on the project included Parsons, Klapp, Brinckerhoff and Douglass; Fay, Spofford and Thorndike; Moran, Proctor & Freeman; and J.R. Worcester & Company. Woodard D. Openo, The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge (Portsmouth: Peter E. Randall, 1988), 24. 3 A July letter from the firm to members of the Authority indicates that Harrington and Cortelyou were already involved in the PWA approval process for the project in Washington, three months before being hired by the Authority. Richard H. Tatlow, letter to Paul Thurston, 16 July 1937. Records of the State Highway Commission, Maine State Archives (Augusta, ME). 4 Waddell designed the Memorial Bridge, a vertical lift bridge constructed in 1923 and located just downriver of the future Sarah Mildred Long Bridge. The Memorial Bridge was replaced in 2013.


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He later founded Harrington & Cortelyou with Frank Cortelyou, in 1928. Cortelyou had worked for several years as a draftsman with Waddell and Harrington, and later followed Harrington to his firm of Harrington, Howard, and Ash. The firm of Harrington & Cortelyou specialized in highway and railroad bridges, building on the experience of both partners, and is still in business as part of Burns and McDonnell in Kansas City.

3. Builder/ Supplier:

Contracts to build the superstructure and substructure of the bridge were awarded to different companies. The Frederick Snare Corporation, a New York company which had developed a large and international portfolio, received a $682,076.75 contract to build the substructure. Founded by Frederick Snare and Wolfgang Gustave Treist as “Snare & Treist Co.” in 1899, it became the Frederick Snare Corporation in 1921. The company built ports in South America and several projects in Cuba.5 Among its projects in the United States are the New Deal-funded Tygart River Dam (1934); the Rip Van Winkle Bridge (1935); and the Verrazano Narrows Bridge (1964).6 The relationship between the Frederick Snare Corporation and IBA later became acrimonious, when the former sued the IBA for additional compensation for issues related to incorrect engineering plans and unforeseen weather conditions. The judge ruled in favor of the Frederick Snare Corporation.7

The contract for the superstructure of the bridge was awarded to the Phoenix Bridge Company for $994,351.00. Phoenix was headquartered in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, and had been founded in 1870. It operated as a subsidiary of the Phoenix Iron Company, each year purchasing 20 to 40percent of the iron company’s production.8 The company constructed more than 4,200 bridges, including several iron truss railroad bridges. Although its reputation suffered after the collapse of its Quebec Bridge in 1907, the company became associated with a number of Manhattan bridges and international projects.9

5 M.E. Murphy, “The History of Guantanamo Bay 1494‐1964,” Commander, Navy Intelligence Command, http://www.cnic.navy.mil/guantanamo/About/History/GuantanamoBayHistoryMurphy/Volume1/Chapter13/index.htm (accessed Oct. 2012). 6 International Database for Civil and Structural Engineering, Structurae, “Frederick Snare Corp,” http://en.structurae.de/firms/data/index.cfm?id=f002430 (accessed 22 Dec. 2014). 7 VersusLaw, Inc., Find a Case, “Frederick Snare Corp. v. Maine‐New Hampshire Interstate Authority,” October 30, 1941. http://nh.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.19411030_0000002.DNH.htm/qx (accessed Oct. 2012). 8 Mead and Hunt, “Contextual Study of New York State’s Pre‐1961 Bridges,” (prepared for New York Department of Transportation, 1999), 90. 9 Tom Winpenny, Elizabethtown College, “Without Fitting, Filing or Chipping: An Illustrated History of the Phoenix Bridge Company,” http://users.etown.edu/w/winpentr/phoenixweb.htm (accessed Oct. 2012).


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Newspaper accounts record that the reinforcing steel used to construct the bridge was supplied by a local manufacturer, the Bancroft-Martin Rolling mill in Portland, Maine. The mill was noted as one of the largest steel rolling mills in the region, and manufactured products associated with several transportation projects.10

4. Original Plans and Construction:

The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge11, with approaches, consists of twenty-seven spans. The main portion of the bridge consists of five Warren truss spans. Vehicles cross at the deck level and the railroad level is at the through truss level. The center span of the five Warren truss spans is a vertical lift span. The approaches consist of seven steel girder spans to the north and fifteen girder spans to the south. The railroad enters the bridge at Span 14 (the fourteenth span from the south) on Noble’s Island and leaves the bridge at Span 25. The bridge is 36' wide with a 30' concrete roadway and 3' sidewalks on either side. The major materials used on the bridge include concrete (abutments, piers) and steel (trusses, sheathing, bents, reinforcing for concrete). Both carbon steel and silicon were employed in constructing the bridge (See Appendix B for construction plans).

Newspaper coverage of the opening of the bridge was extensive, as it was the largest Public Works Administration (PWA) project undertaken in New England. Hometown paper The Portsmouth Herald was most expansive, dedicating entire sections to the bridge in the days around its opening on November 8, 1940. Most of the reporting focused on the pomp and circumstance surrounding the opening ceremonies, the story of how and why the bridge came to be funded, and the staggering statistics of one of the largest civil engineering projects undertaken by either New Hampshire or Maine. The bridge itself was considered utilitarian in appearance, and would be described upon its one-year anniversary as “While it is not the most beautiful bridge in New Hampshire (Maine, too) it is probably the most used due to the fact that it is located on the busiest highway in the country, United States Route 1.”12 It was mostly described in terms of facts and figures, and as a symbol of technological advancement.

Even so, the two towers that defined the lift span were the most visually prominent features of the new structure. Although no information on Harrington & Cortelyou’s design process for the bridge appears to survive, it is clear that aesthetics played a significant role in the design. As the firm was finalizing the plans for the bridge, an October 1938 article in The Portsmouth Herald made brief reference to the tower and lift design, reported that “Plans have been discussed to make the lift in harmony with

10 “Bancroft‐Martin Co. Rolls Million Pounds Of Steel For Bridge,” The Portsmouth Herald, 8 Nov. 1940, 12. 11 The bridge was constructed as the “Interstate Bridge,” and was renamed the “Sarah Mildred Long Bridge” in 1987. 12 “Interstate Bridge Celebrates 1st Year,” The Portsmouth Herald, 10 Nov. 1941, 5.


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the surrounding and do away with the ugly appearance of the bare structure."13 This sentiment is echoed in an Engineering News-Record article about the bridge, in which a photo caption reports that the "Lift span towers reflect care taken to achieve good appearance."14 The front page of The Portsmouth Herald on the day of the bridge’s opening features a closely-cropped photograph of the two towers; other views of the bridge and its approaches are relegated to a photograph collage further in the issue. 15

5. Alterations and Additions: Most of the alterations made to the Sarah Mildred Long

Bridge since its construction reflect minor upgrades and maintenance efforts. In the 1950s, the paving material on the lift span, a lightweight compound made from baked clay called Haydite, was overlaid with asphalt. Problems in the underlying compound material forced subsequent repairs in the mid-1960s and 1987. Also in the 1950s, repairs were made to the left pedestal at the south abutment and to Piers 1, 5, 8 and 11.

Most prominent of the alterations to the bridge was the addition of a retractable small craft span near the north end of the bridge in 1968-69, designed by Harrington & Cortelyou. The new span was added to reduce traffic congestion by alleviating the need to open the main lift for small boats, thereby saving time and money. By the time the retractable span was added, the Boston & Maine railroad was no longer operating so rail traffic was limited to that going to the Navy Yard. Due to the lack of train traffic, the lift is currently kept open so that small craft can always go under the bridge. The span operates by lifting upward until the trolley arm reaches the trolley track. The span then slides back to the adjacent span. The screws for the span operate in an oil bath. Dredging was necessary to deepen the river bottom in front of the span.

In 1971, the operator’s house was extensively altered. Originally, the operator’s house had a compact symmetrical design with a central 3-bay section set off by striped pilasters flanked by double windows on the side sections. There were paired windows on the side elevations. Heat in the operator’s house was originally provided by a coal stove. The 1971 alterations included the addition of a second story, a three-foot addition to the south end, and a change in orientation so that the entrance was through the south rather than the east (road) side. This project also involved the removal of a roof canopy and the replacement and/or relocation of the original windows. The most prominent of the new windows was a large fixed steel window running much of the length of the east elevation, which projects out for improved sight lines. The exterior of the building was covered with ribbed Cor-ten A steel siding.

13 “Hope To Start On New Bridge Before First Of Next Year,” The Portsmouth Herald, 5 Oct. 1938, 1. 14 Frank Pierce, "H‐Piles in Hollow‐Leg Bents for Bridge Falsework," Engineering News‐Record, 10 April 1941, 44. 15 “Maine‐N.H. Interstate Bridge Opened to Public,” The Portsmouth Herald, 8 Nov. 1940, 1.


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A year later, in 1972, a Selsyn Transmitting and Indicating system was installed to help maintain the bridge’s levelness.16 In 1974, the lift span gear reducer units were repaired and/or replaced.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the bridge underwent a major rehabilitation under the guidance of Harrington & Cortelyou. This included replacing expansion bearings, counter weight ropes, counterweight guides, span guides, and traffic signals and gates. It also included rehabilitating the electrical system, and operating machinery. At this time, the street lights were replaced. The existing poles and bracket arms were retained; however, new luminaires, lamp and photo cells were added. The project also included the rebalancing of the lift span and painting and extensive concrete work, including replacement of some of the substructure concrete, rebuilding the sidewalk curb, patching the concrete deck, adding new deck joints, pedestals, bearing plates and backwall pier cups. The electrical and mechanical enclosure building was also built at this time. It is not clear whether the original light fixtures were replaced at this time or had already been replaced at an earlier date.

Within the last several years, changes to the bridge have included replacing the submarine power cable so that power to the bridge could be provided from both the Maine and New Hampshire sides. In addition, in 2008, the control system was computerized.17

B. Historical Context:

Summary The first bridge at the location of the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge was constructed in 1822, replacing ferry service at the crossing between Portsmouth, NH and Kittery, ME. In 1842, the bridge was modified to carry railroad traffic as well as carriage and pedestrian traffic, but by the early twentieth century the bridge was woefully inadequate for the increasing amount of automobile traffic along the New Hampshire and southern Maine seacoast. In an effort to alleviate conditions on the bridge, the Memorial Bridge was constructed nearby in 1921-1923. However, its approach through downtown Portsmouth did little to ease the traffic conditions, prompting a discussion between the highway departments of both states for the construction of a new bridge. After the first application18 for PWA funding was rejected for lack of an operational authority in 1935, the two states established the Maine-New Hampshire Interstate Bridge

16 Openo, The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, 70. 17 NHDOT, Bridge Maintenance Bureau and Bureau of Bridge Design, pers. comm. with Carol Hooper, 2009. 18 The first application appears to have been submitted jointly by both states, but without a separate agency dedicated to the construction and operation of the bridge.


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Authority in 1937. The Authority was approved by both state legislatures as well as the United States Congress. The firm of Harrington & Cortelyou, with many years of experience constructing movable span bridges, was selected for the project in 1937. In 1938, funding for the project by the PWA and a loan through the Reconstruction Finance Corporation allowed the ambitious federally-mandated 18-month construction schedule to commence. Although the project ran behind schedule due to a number of issues, the bridge opened to great fanfare on November 8, 1940. After the financially challenging World War II years, the bridge and associated Route 1 Bypass saw a great deal of traffic by the 1950s. The construction of the Maine and New Hampshire Turnpikes during 1947 through 1950 further changed traffic patterns in the area, and by the 1960s the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge proved inadequate for the area’s traffic. The construction of the I-95 Piscataqua River Bridge in 1972 severely curtailed traffic on the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, as well as its toll-based revenue stream. In 1987, the bridge was re-dedicated to Sarah Mildred Long, the executive secretary of the Authority since its inception. Maintenance and financial issues continued to plague the bridge and the Authority through the end of the twentieth century, and the bridge is currently scheduled for replacement. History of the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge The crossing between Noble’s Island in Portsmouth and Kittery over the Piscataqua River had been popular since the late 17th century, and proved just as attractive a crossing in the 1930s when the newly-created Maine-New Hampshire Interstate Bridge Authority decided to use the location once more for the new federally-funded seacoast corridor bridge. The role of the federal government, including the stipulation for a governing body for the bridge as well as the numerous construction requirements that accompanied federal funding, was a constant theme during the five-year planning and construction of the bridge. 1822 Bridge The first bridge across the Piscataqua River between Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Kittery, Maine (known as the "Portsmouth-Kittery Bridge") was constructed in 1822. The river crossing, however, preceded the 1822 bridge by over a century. A ferry at this approximate location permitted coastal travelers safe crossing across the fast-moving river as early as 1692, when Kittery resident John Woodman was granted approval for a ferry between Kittery and Portsmouth. When the 1822 bridge was constructed, Woodman’s heirs were provided with compensation for the loss of their ferry business.19

19 Everett Schermerhorn Stackpole, Old Kittery and Her Families (Lewiston, ME: Lewiston Journal Company Press, 1903), 86, http://archive.org/details/oldkitteryherfam00staciala (accessed Oct. 2012).


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The 1822 bridge was constructed 60' upstream of the site of the later Sarah Mildred Long Bridge. The timber pile bridge was 1,600' long, with a 50' draw span near the Kittery end. Although constructed as a pony truss bridge, the sides were often protected against the weather by large sheets of plywood.20 In 1842, the bridge was altered to accommodate traffic from the new Portland, Saco & Portsmouth Railroad.21 At the northeast end of the bridge in Kittery was the Kittery Junction railroad station, which survived the construction of the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge but was demolished as part of 1950s improvements to the Kittery Bypass approach.22 In the early twentieth century, as transportation changed again, the wood bridge proved insufficient for the loads created by the burgeoning automobile traffic. In 1921-1923, a new steel vertical lift bridge was constructed downstream in the center of the city of Portsmouth, called “Memorial Bridge” to commemorate World War I (WWI) soldiers. Although the site of the later Sarah Mildred Long Bridge was studied as a possible location, the decision was made to construct Memorial Bridge to connect with downtown Portsmouth, south of the 1822 Portsmouth-Kittery Bridge. Vehicle traffic moved to the Memorial Bridge, but railroad traffic continued to use the 1822 bridge until 1939.23 During the construction of the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, the 1822 Portsmouth-Kittery Bridge served as the construction platform. Memorial Bridge was designed to accommodate all traffic traveling through Portsmouth from points north and south in the 1920s, however, in the years after World War I, automobile usage in New England (and the rest of the country) increased exponentially. Soon after the construction of Memorial Bridge, it was evident both that the new two-lane bridge, and the roads through the middle of Portsmouth leading to it, were not robust enough to handle the amount of daily traffic at the crossing. U.S. Route 1 in New Hampshire was soon choked with traffic, in large part because of the bottleneck at the crossing of the Piscataqua River.24 The situation was especially dire during the summer, when an influx of tourists compounded matters; and when the draw span was open, congestion became even worse. Backups and traffic tie-ups increased through the 1920s, affecting traffic throughout all of downtown Portsmouth. The section of U.S. Route 1 from Boston to Portland, Maine, was one of the busiest highways in New England.25 Running 2,390 miles from Florida to Fort Kent in Maine, it

20 Openo, The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, 1. 21 In later years, the railroad would be used by the Boston & Maine Railroad. 22 Openo, The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, 8. 23 After an accident on September 10, 1939, train traffic on the old bridge was rerouted by way of Dover until the opening of the Interstate Bridge in 1940. 24 Openo, The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, 20‐21. 25 U.S. Route 1 was established in 1927, three years after the opening of Memorial Bridge, with the inauguration of the U.S. numbered highways system. The route of U.S. Route 1 in New England followed that of the earlier NE [New England]‐1 that was established in 1923.


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was the primary through-route of the eastern seaboard. By the late 1930s, four million vehicles traveled over U.S. Route 1 to the Memorial Bridge annually.26 In addition to the traffic problem on U.S. Route 1, traffic caused collateral back-ups in the rest of downtown Portsmouth. There were complaints that emergency vehicles could not reach downtown sites, and the increased traffic was blamed for damage to old buildings and declining property values.27 It was also evident that the old 1822 Portsmouth-Kittery Bridge, modified in 1842 to accommodate train traffic, needed to be replaced. The old wood bridge required constant and extensive maintenance. The size of the draw of the 1822 bridge was out of date, and limited the size of ships that could reach the developing industrial area on the south side of the bridge. As concern about World War II grew, the need for faster and easier access for trucks and trains to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was increasingly important. The Interstate Bridge Authority Establishment The call for the construction of a new bridge across the Piscataqua River between Portsmouth and Kittery continued throughout the late 1920s and into the 1930s, when the availability of Great Depression-era public works funding provided the final impetus for the project. The PWA was created under the June 1933 National Industrial Recovery Act, with the goals of providing employment and improving public welfare through public works construction projects.28 Headed by Secretary of the Interior "Honest Harold" Ickes, the agency imposed tough guidelines for projects to ensure that they were practical, in the public interest, financially viable, and "clean" (not linked to corruption). The complicated approval mechanisms for potential PWA projects went a long way to achieve these goals, but the associated paperwork could add significantly to the timelines of complex projects. A meeting consisting of the major stakeholders in a potential new bridge project took place on July 20, 1935. Attendees included Harold J. Lockwood, Director of the Northeast division of the Public Works Administration; Boston & Maine Railroad Chief Engineer Lawrence Whittemore; engineers from the highways departments of the States of Maine and New Hampshire; as well as various politicians and transportation officials from the two states.29 At the 1935 meeting, details and possible funding mechanisms, were discussed, specifically focused on the possibility of the receipt of federal funds. A PWA application was submitted two months later by both states, in September 1935.

26 Various articles on the opening of the Bypass/Long Bridge, The Manchester Union Leader, 11 July 1940, 10. 27 New Hampshire Highway Department, Traffic Study and Estimate of Revenue in Connection with Proposed Maine‐New Hampshire Interstate Bridge, c. 1937, n.p. 28 In contrast to the Works Project Administration (WPA), PWA projects tended to be larger, and money from the PWA was funneled through states and municipalities instead of going directly to the project workers. 29 Openo, The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, 21‐22.


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However, it lacked the necessary legal prerequisites – specifically, an entity with the legal power to build and maintain the project – and was rejected. In order to remedy the legal shortcomings of the initial application, an interstate agency with three members from each state was established to construct and operate the bridge. This action required the official imprimaturs of the two states, as well as the federal government. In 1936, a successful bill was introduced in the New Hampshire legislature to create an Interstate Bridge Authority. The following year, both the federal government and the State of Maine followed suit. The 75th U.S. Congress, under Senate Bill 2661, created the Maine and New Hampshire Bridge Authority, also known as the Interstate Bridge Authority (IBA). The legislation gave the IBA power "to construct, maintain, and operate a toll bridge across the Piscataqua River at or near Portsmouth."30 Maine authorized the agency in Maine Legislative Document 18, Section 1, of the Private and Special Laws of 1937. The document summarized all of the issues necessitating a new bridge, including the excessive traffic congestion; the inadequate draw; and the maintenance required for the 100-year-old timber pile bridge. The document concluded that the solution was a new bridge to accommodate vehicular and railroad traffic over the Piscataqua River.31 The newly-created IBA met for the first time on June 3, 1937. The members from Maine included Paul Thurston of Bethel, State Representative William Hinman of Skowhegan, and Judge Hollis Cole of Kittery. New Hampshire members included Frederic Everett, Dr. James Powers of Manchester and Frank E. Brooks of Portsmouth. Several other attendees of the meeting had also attended the initial 1935 meeting, and included Harold J. Lockwood, Director of the Public Works Administration of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont; Lucius D. Barrows, Chief Engineer of the Maine Highway Commission; and Daniel H. Dickinson, Chief Engineer of the New Hampshire State Highway Department. Meetings over the next few months focused on the financing of the project, with Judge Cole dispatched to Washington to drum up support for the updated PWA application. On October 8, 1937, several engineering firms made presentations before the Authority, with accompanying bids and preliminary drawings.32 The Kansas City firm of Harrington & Cortelyou was selected as the engineers for the project. Planning and Financing for the Bridge The location and design of the new bridge were influenced by several factors. The existing 1822 Portsmouth-Kittery Bridge was located at a crossing that generally provided a direct link between portions of Route 1 on both sides of the river. In addition,

30 Ibid., 22. 31 Ibid., 22. 32 Firms bidding on the project included Harrington and Cortelyou; Parsons, Klapp, Brinckerhoff and Douglass; Fay, Spofford and Thorndike; Moran, Proctor & Freeman; and J.R. Worcester & Company. Openo, The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, 24.


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the location of the older bridge provided a route crossing that avoided the busy downtown of Portsmouth, while still being close enough to avoid adding to the travel time of interstate routes. The selected location, although slightly longer than the Memorial Bridge route, did not appreciably lengthen the trip between Boston and Portland.33 The City of Portsmouth, in an effort to placate the important resident Boston & Maine Railroad’s Eastern Division, was also anxious to ensure that railroad expenses would be minimized during the process. The re-use of the old 1822 bridge crossing fulfilled these goals, though it limited the field of movable bridge types that could be used. Both bascule and swing bridges were removed from consideration by July 1937, in order to maximize the width of the movable span and to avoid the sizable expense associated with the construction of necessary fender guards.34 By 1937, the firm of Harrington & Cortelyou was already in Washington lobbying for the PWA application and lining up congressional support.35 As federal funding was by no means a sure thing, Harrington & Cortelyou began to investigate the New York bond market as a funding source. Brown Harriman and Company of Boston expressed interest in the underwriting of such funds, and a traffic and revenue survey was undertaken at their suggestion in 1938. Completed by Coverdale and Colpitts, the report estimated traffic counts on Memorial Bridge to be 4,800,000 annually, increasing to 5,280,000 by 1940. The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge could attract almost 800,000 vehicles, with the resulting revenue of $91,500. Operating costs ranged from $27,000 to $50,000 annually, based on the number of dedicated staff for the bridge and the allocation of maintenance costs. These numbers were not strong enough for Brown Harriman and Company, and the IBA once again devoted its attention exclusively to approval of the PWA application for the Interstate Bridge, as well as an application for a Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) loan.36 The financing for the project finally began to coalesce in October 1938. On October 3, the RFC authorized a loan of $1,600,000, which was actually an offer to purchase bonds issued by the Authority in that amount. On October 31, the Federal Emergency

33 New Hampshire Highway Department, Traffic Study and Estimate of Revenue in Connection with Proposed Maine‐New Hampshire Interstate Bridge, c. 1937, n.p. 34 Letters between Richard Tatlow (Harrington & Cortelyou) and Paul Thurston (IBA), July 1937; New Hampshire Highway Department, Traffic Study and Estimate of Revenue in Connection with Proposed Maine‐New Hampshire Interstate Bridge, c. 1937: n.p. 35 Under many of the New Deal programs, it was illegal to pay a person or business for helping to secure federal funding for a successful project. It is unclear why this was not a concern during the planning of the Interstate Bridge. 36 Openo, The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, 24‐25. The RFC was established during the Hoover administration when it was chiefly charged with trying to restore confidence in the banking industry. After Roosevelt was elected, its scope was expanded to provide economic support to a wider range of areas.


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Administration of Public Works authorized a PWA grant of $1,309,090 for the project.37 The approval of federal funding was called "the largest PWA project in New England" and "among the largest PWA heavy construction projects in the country."38 It is likely that the increasing significance of the Portsmouth/ Kittery area to the preliminary wartime effort played a role in the approval of the bridge by the PWA. In the mid-twentieth century, government defense programs in the shipbuilding municipalities of Portsmouth and Kittery resulted in an influx of federally funded activity at the seaports, and federally-funded housing developments for the new defense workers. The efficient movement of industrial and residential traffic over the Piscataqua River near the shipyards would have been important to the wartime effort. The loans and grants, however, came with significant conditions; the most significant of which were the stipulation that work begin within eight weeks (by January 1, 1939) and that the project be completed within 18 months.39 By mid-October, Harrington & Cortelyou were working on drawings for the project. At a meeting of the IBA on November 1, legal counsel was retained, bond transcripts were authorized, a contract with Harrington & Cortelyou was signed, 14 borings were authorized, and agents were employed to purchase or get options on the necessary land. The fast pace continued during the next few weeks, with the IBA voting to accept an annual payment of $35,000 from the Boston & Maine Railroad for use of the planned bridge. Plans were submitted, along with specifications and contract documents prepared by Harrington & Cortelyou, to the PWA and the RFC. The solicitation of bids for the construction of the project, based on the Harrington & Cortelyou plans, was also quickly authorized.40 Although plans were well underway, in November 1938, the site of the bridge was shifted approximately 60' downstream from the old bridge. This shift made connections to roadways easier on either end, and allowed placement of the lift at the deepest possible part of the river. In addition, the planned bridge was widened by one foot to permit

37 The final mix of financing included: a $1,769,000 RFC loan (secured by bonds), a $1,420,000 grant from the PWA, and $320,000 in additional bonds (Openo, The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, 25). The bonds were to be paid off by tolls and by the annual rent from the railroad. 38 “Bridge Project Work is Approaching Peak,” Portsmouth Herald, 22 Aug. 1939, 1; “Bridge Construction Nowve Over Half Complete,” 6 Nov. 1939, 1. Larger projects were actually completed in New York and Massachusetts, as reported in C.W. Short and R. Stanley‐Brown, Public Buildings: A Survey of Architecture of Projects Constructed by Federal and Other Governmental Bodies between the Years 1933‐1939 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1939), 545 and 660. There were innumerable very large heavy construction projects funded by PWA, particularly in the west. 39 In the end, the date for completion of the project was extended to August 27, 1941 (Maine‐New Hampshire Interstate Bridge Authority 1941, 7). In total the project took two years to complete. 40 Maine‐New Hampshire Interstate Bridge Authority records, 1938 (accessed 2012 Iron Mountain Records Management Division, Milton, NH).


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sidewalks on either side. Despite these last minute changes, Harrington & Cortelyou were able to provide detailed plans of the bridge and its approaches by November 28, 1938.41 On December 2, 1938, one month after receiving funding for the project, the IBA advertised for bids, which were scheduled to be opened only two weeks later on December 16. Despite the short time frame, bids were awarded on time to four contractors for different portions of the project, with the total price for the project (both the bridge and the bypass sections) being $2,477,869.50.42 Construction of the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge Bridge Construction: 1938-1940 On December 23, 1938, a week after contracts for the project were awarded, a brief ceremony was held and construction officially began with clearing on the Maine and New Hampshire approaches to the bridge. Within a few weeks, fabricating work for the bridge was underway, as well as preparation work for its substructure. For other parts of the project, design work was still ongoing. According to one source, because the plans had to be completed in such a rush, engineers from Harrington & Cortelyou had to be onsite at Phoenix Bridge Company, which was fabricating the superstructure, to consult on the design of individual pieces of steel.43 In April 1939, excavation started with Pier 13, located on Noble’s Island. A few months later, excavation was complete for piers at the North Mill Pond in Portsmouth, and work was starting on the concrete piers themselves. Concrete was pumped from a central plant on Noble’s Island through 8-inch pipes to the pier sites. According to one source "this [pumpcrete system] [was] the latest development in the method of placing concrete on a job of this size." Also around this time, the first pneumatic caisson arrived for the difficult job of excavating the deepest underwater piers.44 Labor was readily available, and the use of men rather than machines was encouraged by the PWA. Construction of the U.S. Route 1 Bypass in Kittery was delayed during the wet season, but was resumed in April 1939.45 In June 1939, there were approximately 300 men at work on the project, and grading for the Maine approach was well underway.46

41 They continued to work on the plans, as a number of final plans have April 1939 dates. 42 Maine‐New Hampshire Interstate Bridge Authority, Annual Report, 1938, 64 (accessed 2012, Iron Mountain Records Management Division, Milton, NH). 43 Interview with Willis Grinstead, 9 July 2009. F. Norvell Larkin and H.D. Peoples from Harrington & Cortelyou were the resident engineers for the project. Providing additional engineering oversight were PWA engineers James R. Gardner, J.W. Dickinson, and Harry B. Dore and John H. Minnich. 44 "First Pneumatic Caisson Arrives," Portsmouth Herald, 2 May 1939. 45 Openo, The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, 40. 46 Ibid., 42.


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By July 1939, the project was 25percent complete and work began on the nine deep-water piers. The substructure of the bridge posed significant problems, including a water channel that reached a 90' depth, tidal flows of up to 12 miles per hour, and strong currents. To excavate the nine deepest of the 28 piers, the contractor used the "pneumatic caisson" method, which had also been used to construct the substructure for Memorial Bridge. The caissons, large waterproof sleeves with open bottoms, were sunk at the site of the future piers. Workers (at that time commonly referred to as "sand hogs") worked in a steel chamber at the bottom of the caisson, excavating sand by hand. Forced air prevented water from entering the caisson while the men were at work. Excavated material was removed via buckets through 3' wide shafts at the top of the caisson. As the men excavated deeper, the caisson would sink deeper. After the proper depth and an acceptable surface were reached, the caisson was sealed to the bedrock with concrete. The caisson then served as the mold for the concrete, which was pumped in via the pumpcrete system.47 The deepest caisson for the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge was planted 91' below mean sea level (MSL). Because of the air pressure at that depth, (in some cases 44 pounds above atmospheric pressure), sand hogs in the deeper areas could only work 1 ½ hours per day, and at least one death was reported. In October 1939 a “sand hog” named Frank J. Gallagher died after a fire started in the decompression chamber he was using to reverse the effects of the bends.48 By August 1939, the project was 28 percent complete, which was 12 percent behind the ambitious construction schedule set by the government. To catch up, some of the contractors began mandating double or triple shifts. Steel work was ongoing and, at this time, five approach spans of the bridge on Noble’s Island had been erected. Steel work had started at Noble’s Island, and proceeded north and south simultaneously. Later steelwork progressed from both Maine and New Hampshire, the two sides eventually meeting at the location at the site of the original draw for the old bridge.49 During this peak construction period in 1939, over 500 employees were working every day and weekly payrolls reached the $20,000 range.50 The schedule for the project as a whole, however, was significantly set back by an accident on September 10, 1939, when a passenger train crossing the adjacent 1822 bridge plunged through the bridge into the river. The train hit the caisson for one of the tower piers for the new bridge and dislodged it, causing a one-month suspension of work on the bridge.

47 Ibid., 44‐45. 48 James B. Gardner, “Statement Regarding Death of Frank J. Gallagher, 1939,” Public Works Administration files for Project #NH1037F, #ME1088F, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 135, microfilm rolls 8363, 8364, and 8365. 49 Openo, The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, 48‐49. 50 “Bridge Project Work is Approaching Peak,” Portsmouth Herald, 22 Aug. 1939, 1.


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By October, steel had been erected on nine spans. A 25-ton traveler crane with a 75' boom was used to erect the truss spans and the lower half of each of the lift span towers. Erection of the truss spans superstructure was aided by a unique falsework system developed by the Phoenix Bridge Company. Because conventional bents could not be used due to the tide, current, and the depth of the water, as well as the thick layer of bottom mud, the contractor used hollow-leg bents through which H-piles were driven to rock. After a truss span was erected, the falsework bents were freed and used for the next span.51 By December 1939, a year after the project started, it was 65percent complete and there were 200 men a day working on the project.52 The last caisson was placed in January 1940. In March 1940, the contractor for the substructure, the Frederick Snare Company, despite being "handicapped by the high tides, winds and storm" had "successfully completed what may be considered a major engineering feat...." with the substructure nearly finished.”53 The superstructure stretched more than halfway across the river, and work had started on the liftspan towers, three months behind schedule. In August 1940, navigation up the Piscataqua was halted for two weeks to permit the final work to make the lift span operational. Also during August, counterweights were installed and the bridge was painted "patina green." Tests were done on the lift span and there were initial problems, relating to it being out of skew while being raised. However General Electric, which supplied much of the electrical equipment, was called in for a consultation and was able to get it operational within the 6" of deviation permitted.54 Opening and Operation of the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge: 1940-1943 The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge and the U.S. Route 1 Bypass in both Maine and New Hampshire opened to traffic at 3:30 p.m. on November 8, 1940, with a ribbon cutting in the center of the bridge and speeches in front of the tollbooths on the New Hampshire side. There were speeches by a variety of politicians, PWA officials, IBA members, and Navy Yard officials. Bridge Engineer Frank Cortelyou and the President of the Boston & Maine Railroad also spoke about the biggest highway undertaking ever attempted by both states up to that time.55 The extensive newspaper coverage of the opening ceremonies

51 Frank Pierce, "H‐Piles in Hollow‐Leg Bents for Bridge Falsework," Engineering News‐Record, 10 April 1941, 43‐45. 52 Frederic E. Everett, transcript of broadcast speech, 9 Jan. 1940, Correspondence of the State Highway Commission, Maine State Archives (Augusta, ME). 53 “Work On Bridge Progresses Despite High Tide, Bad Weather Handicaps,” Portsmouth Herald, 21 March 1940, 1. 54 Openo, The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, 50‐51. 55 Various articles about the opening of the bridge, The Manchester Union‐Leader, 11 July 1940.


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emphasized the size and expense (over $3 million) of the project, and the fact that it was a cooperative project between the two states. For a year or so following its opening, the bridge saw heavy use. After the opening day, which was free, passenger cars were charged a 10-cent toll, which gave the bridge its nickname of the "dime bridge."56 However use of the bridge soon slowed, as the first wartime-related gas rationing on the East Coast came less than two years after the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge’s gala opening. The effect on East Coast automobile traffic was significant. During the early part of 1943, pleasure driving was banned altogether on the eastern seaboard. During this period, use of the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge and the bypass declined precipitously, by up to 70percent over previous years.57 With the IBA’s income sharply reduced, it was difficult to keep up with maintenance costs and the repayment of bonds. The IBA tightened its belt, and replaced Harrington & Cortelyou with less expensive local engineers for remaining work. When the federal government suggested the use of IBA-financed civilian guard protection for the bridge in 1943, the IBA replied that its finances did not allow for the expense.58 Although traffic on the upper highway level of the bridge was light during this era, traffic on the lower railroad level of the bridge was much busier. During this period, there was increased train service both to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and on the regular passenger lines to accommodate travelers no longer able to use their cars due to wartime restrictions. After the war however, it did not take long for traffic to return. In 1946, annual traffic over the bridge was 1,511,263 vehicles; eight years later in 1954, the traffic had more than doubled to 3,230,383 vehicles.59 Although automobile traffic flourished in the post-war years, train traffic dwindled during the same period. The Eastern Division of the Boston & Maine Railroad ceased operations in 1952, and the tracks were removed over the next few years.60 Only the freight trains bound for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery utilized the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge during the late twentieth century.61 In 1963, increasing marine traffic resulted in several more lifts per year than the original plan had anticipated, which in turn caused increasing automobile traffic backups. Harrington & Cortelyou, during their annual inspection of the bridge, suggested the installation of a movable small craft span on the railroad level to accommodate the majority of marine traffic without interruption of highway traffic. The southernmost

56 Openo, The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, 58. 57 Maine‐New Hampshire Interstate Bridge Authority, Traffic Volume Study, 1943 (accessed 2012, Iron Mountain Records Management Division, Milton, NH). 58 Openo, The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, 56. Openo notes that civilian guards were utilized later during the war. 59 Ibid., 66. 60 Ibid., 63. 61 Hooper and Monroe note that as of 2009, there was little rail traffic, with the bridge tenders reporting no use during the previous few years. The retractable small craft span has been left open since then, due to boat traffic being more prevalent than train passage.


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girder span at the north end of the bridge was altered in 1967-1968 in order to implement this solution. The project cost $400,000, taken from the IBA’s reserve.62 Post-Construction History, 1943-1987: Interstate 95 and the Bypassing of the Bypass The movement for a seacoast turnpike picked up momentum after World War II. The Maine Turnpike was constructed in 1947, and the New Hampshire Turnpike was dedicated soon after, in 1950. However, traffic continued to increase and by the late 1960s, the state once again started studying alternatives to relieve traffic in the seacoast area. Finally in 1971, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation began work on doubling the Turnpike capacity from four to eight lanes, and constructing a new bridge across the Piscataqua. The new six-lane Piscataqua River Bridge (also known as the “High Level Bridge”) opened to traffic on November 1, 1972. With these changes, motorists could drive from Massachusetts to Maine without using the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge. The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge and the 1940 U.S. Route 1 Bypass had themselves been bypassed. The construction of the Piscataqua River Bridge removed the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge from the primary north/south route, making it part of a secondary road in use largely for local traffic between Maine and New Hampshire. These shifts resulted in a dramatic loss of revenue for the bridge, and in 1972 the tollbooths were removed because they were no longer financially remunerative.63 Maintenance problems increased during the 1970s and 1980s, including vibration and electrical issues.64 Additional financial woes, including the bankruptcy of the Boston & Maine Railroad in 1970 and skyrocketing insurance costs, plagued the IBA. In an attempt to address these problems, the IBA’s original enabling legislation was amended in 1986, deeding the bypass sections to their respective states, while the IBA retained ownership and control of the bridge itself. All employees of the IBA became employees of one of the states and winter maintenance of the bridge was to be shared.65 In 1987, the Interstate Bridge was rededicated to honor the first and longest serving employee of the IBA, executive secretary Sarah Mildred Long. Born in 1916, she attended Portsmouth schools and began her working career with the IBA as a secretary and bookkeeper in 1938, as its first employee. She remained with the Authority for over fifty years, retiring as its executive secretary in 1984 and continuing to consult for the IBA in subsequent years.

62 Openo, The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, 66‐67. 63 Ibid., 60. Administrative offices for the IBA, adjacent to the toll booths, were also demolished. 64 Ibid., 72‐74. 65 Ibid., 90‐91.


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The PWA and Design Influences

By the time construction was started on the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, the PWA had funded 16,677 projects and had either paid out or obligated $3,355,775,000.66 There were well over 270 different types of projects funded by the PWA, ranging from municipal buildings, libraries and schools (the most common types), to stadiums, insectariums, penstocks and mausoleums.67 By its sheer size and scope, projects funded through the PWA significantly influenced construction and design during this era in the United States. According to the PWA, its role was to act as a building and loan agency, providing money and inspections to make sure that the project was built in accordance with the owner’s plans and specifications. However, the projects funded by the PWA stand together as an unprecedented body of work with many common design characteristics. Although projects were built both in historical styles (most frequently a simplified Colonial Revival) and a "modem" style, they shared the common characteristics of "great simplicity and a very sparing use of ornament, emphasis being placed on line, good composition, scale, and proportion.”68 A general stylistic bent threaded among the projects, termed “PWA-Moderne.” This style had an emphasis on smooth surfaces, often of stone or concrete, with extremely stripped or stylized classical elements, in general combining characteristics of the Stripped Classical popularized by Paul Cret and the Streamlined Moderne.69 In the 1939 book Public Buildings: A Survey of Architecture of Projects Constructed by Federal and Other Governmental Bodies between the Years 1933-1939 (itself a PWA-funded project), the authors, C.W. Short and R. Stanley-Brown, identify the work generated by the PWA as something different, approaching a new style: “The designers of public works during the past 6 years have borrowed much from the general current that is flowing away from traditional design toward something new, but in reviewing their work from a close perspective it seems very evident that they have decidedly contributed to the movement. .....Most of the architects who have attempted to diverge from tradition seem to have attacked their problems from the point of view first of plan requirements, second of construction, and thirdly of types of materials to be used, with the result that in the more successful buildings of this character a style has emerged that may perhaps be the seed of the long sought ‘school of American design’...

66 Short and Stanley‐Brown, Public Buildings: A Survey of Architecture of Projects Constructed by Federal and Other Governmental Bodies between the Years 1933‐1939, V and 678. 67 Ibid., 676‐677. 68 Ibid., XIV. 69 David Gebhard, A Guide to the Architecture of Minnesota, (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1977), 420.


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So it is that this vast building program presents us with a great vision, that of man building primarily for love of and to fulfill the needs of his fellowmen. Perhaps future generations will classify these years as one of the epoch-making periods of advancement in the civilization not only of our own country but also of the human race.”70 Although much of the discussion of a PWA style relates to buildings, PWA structures also had a strong emphasis on design and carried over many elements of this PWA-Moderne. According to Short, "Bridges are integral parts of highway systems. There has been great improvement in design in this field. Most of those built of steel are more beautiful in line and proportion than those constructed before 1933... Even the steel framing has generally been studied to produce artistic effects in line and in texture ... In many cases; the bridges have been designed to fit the surrounding scenery..."71 The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge incorporates much of the PWA-Moderne in its design, especially its attenuated, streamlined towers with applied stylized pilasters.

PART II. STRUCTURAL/DESIGN INFORMATION72

A. General Statement: 1. Character:

The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge is significant as an important transportation structure that was funded under New Deal federal programs. As a vertical lift bridge, it is representative of a bridge type which has a high degree of engineering significance, and there are a number of characteristics of the bridge which distinguish it from other vertical lift bridges. The bridge was important as a prominent project paid for by Depression-era programs and as an important link in the developing federal highway system. As a bypass bridge intended to carry the through traffic of U. S. Route 1 around the congested streets of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and to speed travel on this interstate route, the bridge played an essential part in the broad history of transportation along the East Coast.

The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge also displays a number of distinctive characteristics of the vertical lift bridge type. The structure represents an early example of the second generation of vertical lift bridges, which were operated by synchronized

70 Short and Stanley‐Brown, Public Buildings: A Survey of Architecture of Projects Constructed by Federal and Other Governmental Bodies between the Years 1933‐1939, II‐III. 71 Short and Stanley‐Brown, Public Buildings: A Survey of Architecture of Projects Constructed by Federal and Other Governmental Bodies between the Years 1933‐1939, VII‐VIII. 72 The description was adapted from Hooper and Monroe, 2009, with additions by Timothy S. Bryant, Project Manager/Team Leader – Structural, VHB.


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electronic motors housed in the towers.73 It is an uncommon extant example of a design that accommodates both vehicle and train traffic, and is the second-longest vertical lift bridge constructed in the 1930s and 1940s.74 The bridge was designed by an engineering firm that had emerged, after decades of experience, as the pre-eminent designers of vertical lift bridges and the machinery and controls that were required to operate them. The Phoenix Bridge Company developed a unique system of hollow-leg bents to deal with the challenges of this particular site, which was reported nationally in a 1941 issue of Engineering News. Aesthetically, the treatment of the bridge’s towers appears to reflect a major shift in the conception of vertical lift towers away from utilitarian support structures to design elements, paralleling the development of the design of towers in suspension bridges and embodying the characteristics that emerged as part of the PWA-Moderne style. Harrington & Cortelyou designed the towers to give an attenuated, streamlined appearance, a quality not seen in other vertical lift bridges of the era, and one that the firm went on to repeat in at least one later bridge. The firm’s meticulous design included extremely narrow towers, tapered in two directions, with applied vertical bands suggesting pilasters running their length. It is a rare example of the use of welded steel sheathing to cover the support structure on the tower face.

2. Condition of Fabric: The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge retains its original large-scale features, including the foundations, structural steel in the trusses and towers, and its counterweights. The most visible physical alteration to the bridge was the installation of a retractable span at the lower (railroad) level in the 1960s, representing an ingenious adaption of the bridge type to accommodate evolving service needs. The operator’s house has been altered, and the original lighting fixtures and gates have been replaced. Other alterations are generally considered routine maintenance, such as replacing mechanical parts and repaving of the road surface. Although several of the original design elements are extant, the bridge also displays a high level of structural deterioration. Weight limits have been imposed for vehicle traffic to ensure safety.

B. Description:

South Abutment and Southern Approach Spans (Spans 1-15)

To the south, the bridge begins on the west side of the North Mill Pond in Portsmouth. The south abutment is 51' long, and roughly 23' of the abutment is visible above ground

73 The first bridge in the United States to utilize this technology was the 1935 Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge in Bourne, Massachusetts, designed by the firm of Parsons, Klapp, Brinkerhoff & Douglas, with McKim, Mead & White as consultants. 74 The 1935 Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge was the longest.


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at its north (water) end. The identical east and west elevations feature streamlined pylons on either end that extend from the top of the handrail to ground level. The pylons are roughly 8' wide at the bottom and narrow as they go up with a 1/8th inch-per foot batter. They step back from the projecting central section in 3" increments. Between the pylons are three sections of railing. Below the railing on the abutment, pilaster strips are aligned with the two vertical posts of the railing. A bronze plaque at the south abutment lists the various agencies, governors, and members of the Authority, engineers and contractors involved with the construction of the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge: FEDERAL WORKS AGENCY PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION JOHN M. CARMODY FEDERAL WORKS ADMINISTRATOR ------- FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES ------- MAINE-NEW HAMPSHIRE INTERSTATE BRIDGE 1940 ------- LEWIS O. BARROWS GOVERNOR STATE OF MAINE FRANCIS P. MURPHY GOVERNOR STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE MAINE-NEW HAMPSHIRE INTERSTATE BRIDGE AUTHORITY MEMBERS MAINE WILLIAM H. HINMAN HOLLIS B. COLE STILLMAN E. WOODMAN PAUL D. THURSTON NEW HAMPSHIRE FREDERIC E. EVERETT FRANK E. BROOKS JAMES J. POWERS, M.D.


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------- ENGINEERS HARRINGTON AND CORTELYOU ------- CONTRACTORS FREDERICK SNARE CORPORATION THE PHOENIX BRIDGE COMPANY LITTLETON CONSTRUCTION COMPANY JOHN IAFOLLA CONSTRUCTION COMPANY EDWARD L. PATERSON AND SON The fifteen south approach spans that curve around to cross the North Mill Pond and most of Noble’s Island are steel girder spans of varying lengths (see table). The girders rest on steel reinforced concrete piers. Depending on their location, the dimensions and type of piers vary (see table below). Most of the spans are over land or very shallow water. The piers consist of two squared columns roughly 5' to 7' on each side connected by a diaphragm at the top. The columns are battered with chamfered corners. The concrete diaphragm between the pier columns is semicircular on the underside (radius 6'). Piers 13 and 14 are of a different type and at these the superstructure is supported by roughly 39' tall steel bents rather than directly on the piers. The truss spans begin at Pier 15. At Span 14 at the northern end of the south approach, the rail line joins the bridge and for this span there is a deck girder span below, which supports the railroad track.. Main Spans (Spans 16-20) The main, Warren truss, section of the bridge runs between the north and south approach spans. The lengths of corresponding spans are symmetrical around the central lift span. Flanking the lift span are the two tower spans. An additional set of spans flank the tower spans. All of the Warren trusses are 30' deep. The piers for the main spans (Piers 15-20) which support the Warren trusses were constructed using pneumatic caissons and are the deepest of the bridge’s 26 piers. The solid concrete piers are tapered at each end, much like the bow of a ship. Each pier consists of the lowest/steel cofferdam section on the river bottom, above this is an unfaced concrete section and above this is a roughly 12' high section with granite facing that protects the pier at the water line. The top portion of the pier, above the waterline, is unfaced. The center vertical lift span is 224' long. The entire span (the vehicular level at the upper chord and the railroad level at the lower chord) is raised by independent, synchronized


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electric motors which are located at the tops of the towers. There is a 135' clearance under the lifted span. The lowered span has a 14' clearance at low tide. Spans 17 and 19 are the site of the most prominent features of the bridge, the soaring, attenuated towers. The towers house the machinery necessary to raise the lift span. In simplistic terms, weights ("counterweights") attached via cables to the lift span are lowered to make the center lift span go up and are raised to lower it. The cables run from the counterweights over sheaves at the top of the tower back down to the lift span. The process is assisted by motors located in the machinery rooms at the top of the towers. The towers rise from the piers located below the railroad level 207' in the air. Each tower consists of two rectangular legs linked at the lower levels by cross bracing and connected at the top by the machinery room. The dimensions of the towers vary at different heights due to the fact that the towers are battered and narrow in both width and depth as they extend upward. On the elevations of the towers that face the water, the towers are 15' wide at the top and widen (at a batter of 1:120) as they extend down. These elevations of the tower are embellished with two 2'-wide strips/stylized pilasters running almost to the top of the towers which emphasize the towers' verticality. The top several feet of this elevation of the towers is slightly stepped, providing a finishing element to the towers. The bottom 5' or so of the towers flare slightly, providing a base or foot that rests on the piers.

The utilitarian two-story operator’s house is located on the south tower span. This metal structure with corrugated metal sheathing is roughly 27' x 7' and occupies the same footprint as the original operator’s house. (A second story was added to the original; see Alterations section of this report.) A large, fixed, operator’s window is located along the side of the building parallel to the roadbed. There are two windows at the second floor level on the east elevation. Adjacent to the operator’s house is an electrical and mechanical equipment enclosure. A bridge tender’s booth is located on the north tower span. It is an extremely small, enclosed, glass structure which shelters the bridge tender while she/he is on duty. Another distinctive feature of the main spans is the retractable/small boat span on Span 20, the furthest north of the main truss spans. This is roughly the location of the draw span on the old wood bridge. This 85' span is located on the railroad level of the bridge, near the Maine approach, and retracts into the most northerly truss span. North Abutment and Northern Approach Spans (Spans 21-27) The seven north approach spans are steel girder spans of varying lengths (see Table 1). The girders are supported by steel bent piers of varying heights and types (see Table 2).


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The more southerly piers are similar to those of the main spans, while those towards land generally are "pedestal piers" - truncated pyramids having a 1 ½-inch/foot batter and faced with granite. The north abutment itself is 36' long. The east and west elevations differ in that, at the east elevation, a retaining wall continues the decorative treatment used in the abutment. The east elevation is a total of 122' long. Both east and west elevations feature streamlined pylons on either end that extend from the top of the handrail to ground level. Roughly 29' of the abutment is visible above ground at its north (bridge) end. The streamlined pylons are roughly 8' wide at the bottom and narrow as they extend up with a 118" per foot batter. They step back from the projecting central section in 3" increments. Between the pylons are three sections of railing. Below the railing on the abutment, pilaster strips are aligned with the two vertical posts of the railing. On the east elevation, there are six additional pilasters and a pylon at the end of the retaining wall. A bronze plaque at the north abutment, identical to the one on the south abutment, lists the various agencies, governors, and members of the Authority, engineers and contractors involved with the construction of the Interstate Bridge.

Table 1 – Span Summary:

Span /Location Type Length

#1-13 (beginning at South Abutment) South Approach

Steel Upper Deck Girder 70'each (907'-10.5" total)

#14 South Approach Steel Upper Deck Girder Steel Lower Deck Girder

86'-3"

#15 South Approach Steel Upper Deck Girder Steel Lower Deck Girder

89'-9"

#16 Main Section (Fixed Span)

Warren Deck Truss (Upper) Warren Through Truss (Lower)

227'

#17 Main Section (Fixed Tower Span)


226'

#18 Main Section (Center Lift Span)


224'


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Span /Location Type Length

#19 Main Section (Fixed Tower Span)


226'

#20 Main Section (Fixed Span


227'

#21 North Approach Steel Upper Deck Girder Steel Lower Deck Girder

89'-9"


88'-6"


86'-3"

#24-27 North Approach

Steel Upper Deck Girder

70'-6" each (282'-0" total)

Table 2 - Piers and Supporting Member Summary:

Pier/Location Type Dimensions

#1 South Approach Two-column Concrete 22' high; (all 18 ½' wide)

#2 South Approach Two-column Concrete 27' high







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#8 South Approach

Two-column Concrete 33' high

#9 South Approach Two-column Concrete 32/33' high



#12 South Approach Two-column Concrete 27/24' high

#13 South Approach Solid Concrete Pier, supporting steel two-column bent

Pier roughly 12' x 41' and 20' high; bent 38.5' high

#14 South Approach Solid Concrete Pier base with granite facing; supporting steel two-column bent

Pier 9' x 30' and 42'deep; bent 39' high

#15 South Approach Solid Concrete Pier base with granite facing; supporting steel two-column bent

Pier 32' x 10' and 67' deep

#16 Truss Spans Solid Concrete Pier base with granite facing; supporting steel two-column bent

Pier 9' x 33' and 98'deep



#18 Truss Spans

Solid Concrete Pier base with granite facing; supporting steel two-column bent



Pier 9' x 33' and 65’ deep


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#21 North Approach Solid Concrete Pier base with granite facing; supporting steel two-column bent





Pedestal 18’ high, 3’ square at top; pier approximately 30' high and 32' wide; bent 36.5' high.

#24 North Approach Steel Two-column bent pier

Pedestals 17' and 18' tall; bent 24/25' high





C. Mechanicals/Operation:

The landside and lift side elevations of the towers consist of the narrow sides of the tower legs and the connecting cross bracing and mechanical room/counterweights (located at the top 44' of the tower). The overall dimension of this elevation is 41' at the top, and slightly wider at the bottom (a batter of 1:200). The narrow dimension of the rectangular legs of the tower (on the outside of this elevation) projects out from the crossbracing/ mechanical room to also provide a tall vertical element to this elevation. Above the roadway, stop lights are located on cross braces roughly 17' above the road (on the land side). On top of these are three X-braced cells of cross bracing, each 35' high. Over these, at the top of the tower, are the mechanical rooms and counterweight housing which are marked by two parallel strips of rectangular openings. The lower (counterweight) level


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has seven openings, roughly 12' high. The upper strip consists of seven slightly shorter glazed openings. On the lift side, the outer openings on the top strip are occupied by the sheave hoods and sheaves. The cables are attached to, and run below, the sheaves on the lift side elevation to the lifting girder. Access to the mechanical rooms in the towers is via a ladder or elevator (one or the other on each side) located in the tower legs. The machinery rooms house the sheaves and the various motors and machinery involved in lifting the lift span. The counterweights are located below the machinery rooms. When the lift span is raised, the counterweights lower assisted by 100 horsepower (HP) General Electric (GE) Motors located in each of the two towers. The span is leveled electrically by a synchronous-tie between GE 50 HP motors in each tower. Due to the bridge's dual responsibility to both highway and river traffic, the process to lift the bridge requires several steps to maintain safety, governed by the procedures set out in the River and Harbor Act passed in August 18, 1894. Originally, communication among the parties involved in a lift, including the ship requesting the lift, the tugboat used to tow the ship under the lift span, and the bridge operator himself, was executed using a series of sound blasts from a whistle, horn, or megaphone. In poor weather conditions that prevented the sound from traveling well, these sound patterns were substituted with light patterns made by waving lanterns, or visual patterns made by waving a flag. By the end of the 20th century, however, most communication was accomplished by radio.75 Prior to the computerization of the controls in 2008, operation was handled through a control board in the operators' house. Under this system, when the operator received a request to lift the bridge and deemed that a lift could be executed safely based on weather and traffic conditions, he activated the Gate Control Bypass. Buttons were used to lower the traffic gates, turn on the associated traffic lights, activate a warning bell on the railroad span, and sound an additional siren warning. A handle in the center of the panel was engaged to begin the lift, which in later years was executed as slowly as possible to prevent the aging equipment from causing the span to go too far out of skew. Gauges indicated the span height, skew, and speed, which could be adjusted when necessary by a handle controlling the power supply to each end of the span. As the span descended after the lift, a bypass button allowed manual control of the span during the last 21' of its descent, which ensured proper seating. If the span was 5" or more out of skew, the power to the lift shut off to prevent damage. A gateman on the opposite side of the span checked for any problems on the north end during operation.76 A cast iron patent plate is located on the lifting girder hanger. It lists the Harrington & Cortleyou patents related to the bridge. They are as follows: 7/17/1917; 4/28/1918; 11/26/1918; 2/24/1920; 12/15/1925; 5/29/1928.

75 Openo, The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, 81‐82. 76 Ibid., 83‐86.


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D. Site Information: The half-mile long Sarah Mildred Long Bridge spans the Piscataqua River between the City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire and the Town of Kittery, Maine (Appendix A). It unites the north and south segments of the U.S. Route 1 Bypass in New Hampshire and Maine and carries the former Boston & Maine Railroad’s Eastern Division line across the river. The Route 1 Bypass was determined eligible for the National Register as a district under Criteria A and C in 2010. Before construction of the U.S. Route 1 Bypass, development was much denser on the Portsmouth side of the crossing, due to the bridge’s proximity to downtown. However, the construction of the bypass encouraged commercial development on the Kittery side as well. The bridge is the middle of three bridges crossing the Piscataqua between Portsmouth and Kittery and is sometimes referred to as the "Middle Bridge." The westernmost is the 1972 Interstate 95 "High Level" Bridge, the largest and newest of the three Piscataqua bridges. Downstream to the southeast is the 2013 Memorial Bridge carrying U.S. Route 1 north from downtown Portsmouth, which replaced a 1923 iteration. The three bridges are in view of one another and together provide a strong visual composition as a gateway between the two states. The Piscataqua River in the area runs northwest-southeast, forming the northern edge of Newington and Portsmouth, NH, and the border between New Hampshire and Maine. The river is tidal many miles inland, with numerous inlets and islands along the shore. At the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge site, the water is 60' to 70' deep, has a current of high velocity, and an 8' to 10' tide. On the Maine side of the bridge, the U.S. Route 1 Bypass on the bridge crosses over Oak Terrace, created during 1950s improvements to the bypass. A small number of early twentieth century houses are located on Oak Terrace, overlooking the river. Further northwest on the bypass, moderate residential development density gives way to primarily industrial and commercial development. The bypass ends approximately one mile north of the bridge, at the U.S. Route 1 Interchange rotary at Remick Corners, which is surrounded by commercial development. At the south end of the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge in New Hampshire, the U.S. Route 1 Bypass crosses over a modern marine terminal and the North Mill Pond, with late nineteenth century single-family houses along side streets extending from the bypass. Commercial development increases to the southwest, where another rotary ends the Portsmouth section of the bypass.


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PART III. SOURCES OF INFORMATION

A. Primary Sources: Documents Everett, Frederic E., transcript of Broadcast Speech, 9 Jan. 1940. Correspondence of the

State Highway Commission, Maine State Archives, Augusta ME. Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works. Amendatory Field Engineering

Report on Docket N.H. 1037, PWA files for project #NH 1037F, #Maine 1088F. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration RG 135, microfilm rolls 8363, 8364, 8365.

Gardner, James B., Statement (Regarding Death of Frank J. Gallagher), PWA files for

project #NH 1037F, #Maine 1088F. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration RG 135, microfilm rolls 8363, 8364, 8365.

Maine-New Hampshire Interstate Bridge Authority, Minute Books, 1938+. Stored at Iron

Mountain Records Management Division, Milton, NH. ------. Traffic Volume Studies, 1943. Maine, State of, Chapter 170 - Resolve, for the Repair and Construction of Roads and

Bridges and for Other Purposes, Resolves of the State of Maine, 1919. http://books.google.com/books.

The Manchester Union Leader, Various articles reporting on the opening of the

Bypass/Long Bridge, 11 July 1940. New Hampshire State Library, Concord, NH. New England Regional Planning Commission [National Resources Board District No. 1],

"Limited Motorways," 1935. New Hampshire State Archives, Concord, NH. New Hampshire Bureau of Public Roads, Report on Transportation on State Highways of

New Hampshire, 1927. New Hampshire State Library, Concord, NH. New Hampshire Department of Transportation (Bureau of Bridge Design), Bridge

Inspection Reports, 1940+. NHDOT Bridge Cards, Concord, NH. New Hampshire Department of Transportation, "PWA Project No. NH 1037-F/Maine

1088-F", 1940 and subsequent plans for alterations. NHDOT Plan Files, Concord, NH.


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New Hampshire Highway Department, Traffic Study and Estimate of Revenue in Connection with Proposed Maine-New Hampshire Interstate Bridge, c. 1937. PWA files for project #NH 1037F (#Maine 1088F), U.S. National Archives and Records Administration RG 135, microfilm rolls 8363, 8364, 8365.

Pierce, Frank, "H-Piles in Hollow-Leg Bents for Bridge Falsework" Engineering News-

Record, Vol. 126, 10 April 1941. Portsmouth Herald, 5 Oct. 1938 – 10 Nov. 1941. State of New Hampshire Superior Court, Report of Referees No. 8674 Littleton

Construction Co. v. Maine-New Hampshire Interstate Bridge Authority, n.d. Records of the State Highway Commission, Maine State Archives, Augusta, ME.

Tatlow, Richard H., Letter to Paul Thurston, 16 July 1937. Records of the State Highway

Commission, Maine State Archives, Augusta, ME. VersusLaw, Inc., Find a Case, “Frederick Snare Corp. v. Maine-New Hampshire

Interstate Authority,” October 30, 1941. http://nh.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/ fac.19411030_0000002.DNH.htm/qx.

Historic Images Boston Public Library, Boston, MA. Their archives include 1945 postcards of the bridge,

which are publicly accessible on site and via the library’s Flickr feed, http://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/2381233407/

Kittery Historical and Naval Museum, Kittery, ME. The museum’s archives include

several images of the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge and its predecessor. Openo, Woodard D. The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge. Portsmouth, NH: Peter E. Randall,

1988. This publication contains several dozen historic images of the bridge, including the Machinery Room and Operators’ House during the 1980s, with several photographs provided by former engineers associated with the bridge. Photographers include: Woodard Openo; H.D. Peoples; Leland Riley, Jr.; E.M. Newman; and Harrington & Cortelyou.

Portsmouth Athanaeum. The Athenaeum’s collections include a number of photographs

of the bridge and its setting, several of which are part of the Douglas Armsden files.


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B. Secondary Sources: Bridgehunter, “Historic and Notable Bridges of the U.S.,”

http://bridgehunter.com/category/builder/ (accessed 26 June 2009). Florida Department of Transportation, Historic Highway Bridges of Florida. Tallahassee:

FLDOT, 2004. Garvin, James L., Bridges of the Piscataqua, unpublished typescript on file at the New

Hampshire Division of Historical Resources, Concord, NH. Gebhard, David, A Guide to the Architecture of Minnesota. Minneapolis: U. Minnesota

Press, 1977. Hool, George A. and W.S. Kinne, Movable and Long-Span Steel Bridges. New York:

McGraw-Hill, 1943. Lichtenstein Consulting Engineers, “Maine DOT Historic Bridge Survey: Phase II Final

Report and Historic Context,” prepared for MaineDOT, August 2004. ------. “Sarah Mildred Long Bridge,” Maine Department of Transportation Historic

Bridge Inventory Form, 2004. McCahon, Mary and J. Patrick Harshbarger, Lichtenstein Consulting Engineers, “Sarah

Mildred Long Bridge,” Maine Department of Transportation Historic Bridge Inventory Form, 1998.

McDermott, Deborah, "Remembering Millie and her Bridge," Portsmouth Herald

Seacoast Sunday, 14 June 2009. Mausolf, Lisa, "Eastern Railroad Area Form," New Hampshire Division of Historical

Resources Area Form, 2002. On file at NHDHR, Concord, NH. Mead & Hunt, “Contextual Study of New York State’s Pre-1961 Bridges.” Prepared for

the New York State Department of Transportation, 1999. Openo, Woodard D., The Sarah Mildred Long Bridge. Portsmouth, NH: Peter E. Randall,

1988. Parsons Brinckerhoff and Engineering and Industrial Heritage, "A Context for Common

Historic Bridge Types," 2005, prepared for the National Cooperative Highway


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Research Program, Transportation Research Council and National Research Council [NCHRP Project 25-25, Task 15].

Plowden, David, The Spans of North America. Norton, New York, 2002. Preservation Company, "Route 1 Bypass Project Area," 2005, NHDHR Project Area

Form. On file at NHDHR, Concord, NH. ------. “U.S. Route 1 Bypass (Portsmouth) Historic District,” revised 2008, NHDHR

Project Area Form. On file at NHDHR, Concord, NH. ------. “Memorial Bridge,” Historic Structures Report, 2009, prepared for NHDOT. On

file at NHDHR, Concord, NH. ------. “Maine-New Hampshire Connections Study: Summary Report on Hisotric

Resources,” prepared for MaineDOT and NHDOT, 2010, http://www.maine.gov/mdot/menhconstudy/documents/MeNhbridgesFinalReport/Appendices/All/Appendixpercent2054percent20-percent20Summarypercent20Reportpercent20onpercent20Historicpercent20Resources.pdf

Short, C.W. and R. Stanley-Brown, Public Buildings: A Survey of Architecture of

Projects Constructed by Federal and other Governmental Bodies between the Years 1933-1939. Washington D.C: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1939.

Snyder, John W., “Tower Bridge, Sacramento, CA,” National Register of Historic Places

Nomination Form, 1981. Available from the National Register of Historic Places, Washington, D.C.

Murphy, M.E., “The History of Guantanamo Bay 1494-1964,” Commander, Navy

Intelligence Command, http://www.cnic.navy.mil/guantanamo/About/History/

GuantanamoBayHistoryMurphy/Volume1/Chapter13/index.htm. Stackpole, Everett Schermerhorn, Old Kittery and Her Families. Lewiston, ME:

Lewiston Journal Company Press, 1903. Winpenny, Tom, Elizabethtown College, “Without Fitting, Filing or Chipping: An

Illustrated History of the Phoenix Bridge Company,” http://users.etown.edu/w/winpentr/phoenixweb.htm.


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C. Likely Sources Not Yet Investigated: It is possible that national engineering trade journals covered aspects of the design and construction of the bridge during the years of 1938 and 1941. In addition, as the bridge was part of an important transportation system heavily utilized by tourists, tourism guides after the 1930s might provide a public perspective on Route 1, and the Interstate/Sarah Mildred Long Bridge as a major gateway.


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Appendix A: Location Map

Sarah Mildred Long Bridge

N

Figure 1. Portsmouth 7.5” USGS topographic quadrangle map with location of Sarah Mildred Long/Interstate Bridge. Credit: U.S. Geological Survey Department of the Interior/USGS