Enduring Connections

Enduring Connections. Briding the River. , Originally called Salem Bridge, Naugatuck was settled in 1702 as a farming community, and, as the Industrial Revolution began, quickly transformed into a mill town. The Naugatuck River is ultimately linked to the borough's settlement and continued development., The Maple Street Bridge has connected the east and west sides of the river for over 300 years. It was redesigned in 1912 as the Whittemore Memorial Bridge by nationally prominent architect Henry Bacon. The bridge has stood as a tribute to borough resident and philanthropist John H. Whittemore. He and Bronson B. Tuttle founded the Naugatuck Malleable Iron Company, one of the borough's largest industries., This gateway to the borough has provided access across the Naugatuck River for generations of residents, workers, and visitors. While development on both sides of the river is continually changing, the one constant has been the borough's connections to and across the river., Bridge Facts: , The Whittemore Memorial Bridge is a 3-span concrete arch bridge that has an overall length of 180' and a maximum span length of 66'., [Captions:] , The view downstream looking at the former Maple Street Bridge., The view west looking at the Maple Street Bridge in the late 1800's., The view south looking at the Whittemore Memorial Bridge prior to the 1955 flood., The 1955 flood removed the stone sidewalls from the bridge; they were replaced with steel rails.