Guelph in Wellington County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Heffernan Street Footbridge

cmh2315fl via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0), August 13, 2017

1. Heffernan Street Footbridge Marker

Inscription. This graceful, arched bridge of reinforced concrete was built in 1914, replacing the original 1881 steel bridge, to plans by E.E. Clawson, City Engineer. A unique feature of the riverscape and important pedestrian link to the city's commercial core.

Designated as an item of historical and
architectural interest by the City of Guelph
1990

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Bridges & Viaducts. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.

Location. 43° 32.858′ N, 80° 14.871′ W. Marker is in Guelph, Ontario, in Wellington County. It can be reached from Woolwich Street 0.1 kilometers west of Thorp Street, on the right when traveling west. Marker is on bridge wall at the south approach. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Guelph ON N1H 3T9, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Huron-Perth-Waterloo-Wellington Area

and in Southwestern Ontario.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Henry Langley 1836-1907 (within shouting distance of this marker); District of Wellington Courthouse - 1842-44 (within shouting distance of this marker); Wellington County Courthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Former Residence Governor of the County Gaol (within shouting distance of this marker); Governor’s Residence (within shouting distance of this marker); County Jail & Governor’s Residence (within shouting distance of this marker); Crown Attorney’s Office (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Centennial of the County of Wellington (about 90 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Guelph.

Regarding Heffernan Street Footbridge. Excerpt from the City of Guelph bylaw designating the bridge a historical landmark:

The bridge was built for City Council in 1914 by contractors Galbraiteh and Cate to plans prepared by Ernest E. Clawson, City Engineer. It replaced the original metal arch footbridge, built by the
cmh2315fl via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0), August 13, 2017

2. Heffernan Street Footbridge
City in 1881, to provide convenient pedestrian access to the downtown for residents of the east side of the river. Although popular with local citizens, the original bridge was ordered removed by the Dominion Railway Commission as it provided no means of safe access over the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks on the east bank. City Council’s decision to again erect a footbridge at this site re-established the bridge’s functional importance as a mid-block pedestrian link to the City’s commercial core and its visual importance as a distinctive piece of Guelph’s landscape.

Also see . . . Heffernan Street Bridge. Details and photographs of the historic span. (HistoricBridges.org) (Submitted on April 22, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Postcard of original Heffernan Street footbridge image. Click for full size.

Courtesy Guelph Museums (public domain), circa 1912

3. Postcard of original Heffernan Street footbridge

Credits. This page was last revised on April 22, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 22, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 234 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 22, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. Wide shot of marker and surrounding area in context. • Can you help?