Holmesburg in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Pennypack Creek Bridge
Photographed by Don Morfe, July 19, 2015
1. Pennypack Creek Bridge Marker - old location
Built circa 1697 at a Lenape Indian trail crossing, it is the oldest roadway bridge in continuous use in the nation. The tri-arch stone span was an important link on the King's Highway, one of America's oldest roads. It served American and French combined forces on the march to Yorktown, known as the Rochambeau Route, in 1781. The only major modification to the bridge was widening in 1893; the upstream side is essentially unchanged from the original.
Erected 2012 by Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Colonial Era • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • War, US Revolutionary. In addition, it is included in the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1697.
Location. 40° 2.613′ N, 75° 1.181′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in Holmesburg. It is at the intersection of Frankford Avenue (U.S. 13) and Solly Avenue on Frankford Avenue. The marker is located at Pennypack Park in the Philadelphia
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Greenbelt Knoll (approx. 0.9 miles away); Thomas Holme (1624-1695) (approx. 0.9 miles away); Torresdale/Holmesburg (approx. 1.2 miles away); Torresdale (approx. 1.3 miles away); a different marker also named Torresdale/Holmesburg (approx. 1.4 miles away); a different marker also named Torresdale (approx. 1.4 miles away); Tidal Delaware Water Trail (approx. 1½ miles away); Riverton Yacht Club (approx. 2 miles away in New Jersey). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Philadelphia.
More about this marker.
Photographed by Don Morfe, July 19, 2015
2. Pennypack Creek Bridge Marker - old location
Also see . . . The Oldest Road Bridge In The USA Is In Philly And Is Still Being Used. The Vintage news website entry (Submitted on September 7, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
HistoricTownsOfAmerica.com - Guy Saladino, February 5, 2020
3. Pennypack Creek Bridge Marker - new location
Historic Towns of America website entry:
Pennypack Creek Bridge (est. 1697), also known as the Frankford Avenue Bridge, Pennypack Bridge, Holmesburg Bridge, located in the Holmesburg section of Northeast Philadelphia, is the oldest roadway bridge in America. The three-span, 73-foot-long stone arch bridge carries Frankford Avenue over Pennypack Creek in Pennypack Park. It was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1970. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Click for more information.
Pennypack Creek Bridge (est. 1697), also known as the Frankford Avenue Bridge, Pennypack Bridge, Holmesburg Bridge, located in the Holmesburg section of Northeast Philadelphia, is the oldest roadway bridge in America. The three-span, 73-foot-long stone arch bridge carries Frankford Avenue over Pennypack Creek in Pennypack Park. It was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1970. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Click for more information.
Photographed by Don Morfe, July 19, 2015
4. Pennypack Creek Bridge
Banner-Frankford Av. Bridge-Kings Highway 1697-1997,National Historic Engineering Landmark Pennypack Creek.
Photographed by Don Morfe, July 19, 2015
5. Pennypack Creek Bridge-Upper Holmesburg-1697-Alive with History
Joseph Elliot (courtesy of Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress), 1997
6. Pennypack Creek Bridge, Spanning Pennypack Creek at Frankford Avenue (U.S. Route 13)...
"This three-span stone arch bridge is the oldest surviving roadway bridge in America. It was originally an important crossing along part of the King's Highway connecting Philadelphia to Bristol — one of colonial America's earliest roads. In later years, it carried delegates traveling from New York to draft the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. The bridge was paved in 1803 and then widened in 1893 to accommodate streetcars, and it has undergone a number of structural changes in the twentieth century to keep it in operable condition. However, the three semicircular arches and much of the spandrel walls along the bridge's upstream side maintain their original construction. The bridge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1988." - HABS Statement of Significance
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 23, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,679 times since then and 113 times this year. Last updated on August 14, 2022, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 23, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. 3. submitted on November 18, 2020, by HistoricTownsOfAmerica.com - Guy Saladino of Long Beach, New York. 4, 5. submitted on July 23, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. 6. submitted on November 21, 2020. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
