Vineyard Haven in Tisbury in Dukes County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)

Lagoon Pond Bridge

1870-2016 A Brief History

Photographed by Steve Stoessel, July 5, 2026

1. Lagoon Pond Bridge Marker

Inscription.

Lagoon Pond Bridge. 1870-2016 A Brief History. , The first bridge opened in March of 1870 , Built at a cost of $5,700. The bridge was in service over 60 years. Electric trolleys first ran to and eventually across the bridge in the late 1890s. Later, motorcars used the bridge., The second bridge opened on August 16, 1935 , Built at a cost of $80,000. It was built on wood pilings similar to the 1870 bridge. Predicted to last 75 years, it lasted over 75 years., A temporary bridge was built in 2010 , Built at a cost of $10.5 million. It was built to reroute marine and vehicular traffic during the removal of the 1935 bridge and to allow the new bridge to be built on the footprint of the old bridge., The current bridge opened to traffic November 24, 2015 , Built at a cost of $41.3 million. In season, about 14,000 vehicles per day use the bridge. It was completed and rededicated in 2016 The new bridge is expected to last 75 years., Harbor of Refuge , The passage under the bridge is a federally designated channel. Lagoon Pond serves as a harbor of refuge in case of a storm., [ Photos at upper right: ] By 1915 the building that may once have served as the draw-tender's office was known as the Tea House at the Bridge, or the Eagleston Tea House. By 1920 this shop had become the Hawaiian Tea House and in 1922 it was the Betty Benz Tea House, a prizewinner in the Woman's Home Companion's T-Room Contest. , The building was destroyed in the September 1944 hurricane., [ Main Photo: ] Shown in this postcard image is an electric trolley and a motorcar crossing the drawbridge. , The original hand-cranked drawbridge was much lower than subsequent drawbridges. The building shown may once have served as the draw-tender's office. It was at street level on the approach to the bridge., Information for this panel was developed from the following primary sources: MV Times article Despite winter, Lagoon Pond Bridge on Schedule by Tory Omer March 6, 2014; Vineyard Gazette article Drivers to Cross New Bridge This Week by Jim Hickey December 30, 2009; MV Times Series This was Then The Tea House by Chris Baer, March 9, 2016; Lagoon Pond Drawbridge Committee Support provided by The Town of Tisbury; Design by Z Studio, Vineyard Haven

The first bridge opened in March of 1870
Built at a cost of $5,700. The bridge was in service over 60 years. Electric trolleys first ran to and eventually across the bridge in the late 1890s. Later, motorcars used the bridge.

The second bridge opened on August 16, 1935
Built at a cost of $80,000. It was built on wood pilings similar to the 1870 bridge. Predicted to last 75 years, it lasted over 75 years.

A temporary bridge was built in 2010
Built at a cost of $10.5 million. It was built to reroute marine and vehicular traffic during the removal of the 1935 bridge and to allow the new bridge to be built on the footprint of the old bridge.

The current bridge opened to traffic November 24, 2015
Built at a cost of $41.3 million. In season, about 14,000 vehicles per day use the bridge. It was completed and rededicated in 2016 The new bridge is expected to last 75 years.

Harbor of Refuge
The passage under the bridge is a federally designated channel. Lagoon Pond serves as a harbor of refuge in case of a storm.

[ Photos at upper right: ] By 1915 the building that may once have served as the draw-tender's office was known as the Tea House at the Bridge, or the Eagleston Tea House. By 1920 this shop had become the Hawaiian Tea House and in 1922 it was the Betty Benz Tea House, a prizewinner in the Woman's Home Companion's T-Room Contest.
The building was destroyed in the September 1944 hurricane.

[ Main Photo: ] Shown in this postcard image is an electric trolley and a motorcar crossing the drawbridge.
The original hand-cranked drawbridge was much lower than subsequent drawbridges. The building shown may once have served as the draw-tender's office. It was at street level on the approach to the bridge.

Information for this panel was developed from the following primary sources: MV Times article Despite winter, Lagoon Pond Bridge on Schedule by Tory Omer March 6, 2014; Vineyard Gazette article Drivers to Cross New Bridge This Week by Jim Hickey December 30, 2009; MV Times Series This was Then The Tea House by Chris Baer, March 9, 2016; Lagoon Pond Drawbridge Committee Support provided by The Town of Tisbury; Design by Z Studio, Vineyard Haven

Erected by Lagoon

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

Pond Drawbridge Committee.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Bridges & Viaducts. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1870.

Location. 41° 27.486′ N, 70° 35.22′ W. Marker is in Tisbury, Massachusetts, in Dukes County. It is in Vineyard Haven. It can be reached from Beach Road 0.3 miles west of Eastville Road. Marker is in Drawbridge Park at the west end of the bridge. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Vineyard Haven MA 02568, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Massachusetts’ Martha’s Vineyard.

It is also in the American Northeast

and in New England.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Tisbury Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Liberty Pole (approx. 0.8 miles away); Barber Hammond (approx. 0.9 miles away); Grace Church (approx.

Photographed by Steve Stoessel, July 5, 2026

2. Lagoon Pond Bridge Marker

0.9 miles away); Carrie Camillo Tankard and George Van Buren Tankard Jr. (approx. one mile away); Coleman Corners (approx. 1.1 miles away); Dorothy West (approx. 1.1 miles away); The Powell House (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tisbury.

Also see . . .
1. Lagoon Pond Bridge in the Local News. (Submitted on July 8, 2026, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York.)
2. Lagoon Pond drawbridge took 14 years, $52 million, countless meetings.

The two-phase project to create the most expensive piece of infrastructure on the Island cost a total of $51.8 million. The cost overrun between the construction and demolition of the temporary bridge and construction of the new bridge was $3.2 million. But a 10 percent contingency fund of $3.4 million, included in the bid price for the new bridge, covers the overage.

(Submitted on July 8, 2026, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York.)

Lagoon Pond Bridge And Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Steve Stoessel, July 5, 2026

3. Lagoon Pond Bridge And Marker

Marker is on the path below the bridge to right of the pole.

View of Lagoon Pond Bridge from Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Steve Stoessel, July 5, 2026

4. View of Lagoon Pond Bridge from Marker

View from Marker Looking North Under Bridge image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Steve Stoessel, July 5, 2026

5. View from Marker Looking North Under Bridge

View From Marker of Lagoon image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Steve Stoessel, July 5, 2026

6. View From Marker of Lagoon

Credits. This page was last revised on July 8, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 8, 2026, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 8, 2026, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York.