Hamden in Hunterdon County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

The Village of Hamden, New Jersey

circa 1750

Photographed By Alan Edelson

1. The Village of Hamden, New Jersey

Inscription. In 1759 Phillip and John Grandin acquired 1,000 acres known as the Hamden Tract. Hamden was home to the Grandin Grist & Fulling-Mills, a Blacksmith Shop, and Abbott's Tavern. Dr. John Grandin's house was built in 1775 with pitch pine lumber that came from Monmouth County. The historic Fink Truss cast-iron bridge was constructed in 1858. It collapsed in 1978. The bridge's memory remains only as a series of photographs, measured drawings, and documents in the Library of Congress as part of the Historic American Engineering Record.

Erected 2019 by Township of Clinton.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 40° 36.23′ N, 74° 54.089′ W. Marker is in Hamden, New Jersey, in Hunterdon County. Marker is on Hamden Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Annandale NJ 08801, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. General Stewart Mansion (approx. ¼ mile away); Colonel Charles Stewart House (approx. 0.3 miles away); Camp Buck (approx. 0.4 miles away); Capt. Jacob Gearhart (approx. 0.6 miles away); Lehigh Valley Railroad Three Story Station House

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(approx. 0.7 miles away); Smokehouse (approx. ¾ mile away); August Wilhelm Knispel (approx. 1.2 miles away); The Capoolong Creek Trail (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hamden.

Also see . . . Fink Through-Truss Bridge, Hunterdon County (HABS). (Submitted on April 15, 2019.)

<i>Fink Through-Truss Bridge,...</i> image. Click for full size.

Jack Boucher (photo courtesy of HABS, Library of Congress), 1971

2. Fink Through-Truss Bridge,...

"Significance: At the time of its demolition in 1978, the Hamden bridge was one of only two Fink Through-Truss Bridges known to remain in the U.S. (The other is in Tuscarauras County, Ohio....). Albert Fink formulated a structural suspension system that was an early and effective method of spanning relatively large distances with cast and wrought iron components. The bridge at Hamden is an excellent example of the Fink Truss design. At the time of its collapse in 1978 it was one of the last two surviving examples of cast- and wrought-iron bridges using Albert Fink's patented suspension truss system. It was also one of the oldest standing metal truss bridges in the United States." - Historic American Buildings Survey

Credits. This page was last revised on July 10, 2019. It was originally submitted on April 14, 2019, by Alan Edelson of Union Twsp., New Jersey. This page has been viewed 497 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 14, 2019, by Alan Edelson of Union Twsp., New Jersey. 2. submitted on April 15, 2019. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.