The Market Street Bridge, Williamsport PA

The Market Street Bridge, Williamsport Pa

The original Market Street Bridge in Williamsport was a covered toll bridge.  It was constructed in 1849, at a cost of $23,797 (The equivalent $920,000 in 2022).  There have been at least seven bridges across the Susquehanna River at this location.

According to the church tour we took in 2022,  The wood beams in the City Alliance Church [Formerly the First Baptist Church, on 4th Street]  are recycled from the last wooden market street bridge.

(More photos of the trusses at the bottom of this post)

There have been Seven Bridges, so far,  across the Susquehanna River at Market Street in Williamsport:

1. 1849-1865  Wooden Covered Toll Bridge, destroyed in the flood of 1865
2. 1865-1885 Wire suspension bridge
3. 1885 - 1889   Berlin Iron Bridge, partially destroyed in the flood of 1889
4. 1889-1891 Built using parts of the Berlin Bridge, opened in 1889, destroyed in the 1891 flood.
5. 1894 - 1949  Crofton Bridge Company Construction.  Blown up and dismantled in 1949.
6. 1956 - 2007  Steel Deck constructed by George Vang.  Blown up in 2007.
7. 2007 - current day

Grit Daily Sun & Bulletin, 1884

The Berlin Bridge  was a toll bridge, owned by a joint corporation.  It was was five spans, 200 feet each, with an 18 foot wide roadway. 

Construction of the bridge, 1885

 It was the largest iron highway bridge in the state of Pennsylvania, in 1890.  The bridge replaced an old suspension bridge that "had become entirely too light to carry the largely increasing traffic."

Last View Of The Bridge, June 1889.  This bridge was severely damaged in the flood of 1889.

The Pottsville Republican reported on June 4 1889 that between fifty and eighty people who were on the Market Street Bridge in Williamsport watching the flood were washed away and drowned.

Market Street Bridge, Williamsport, 1894

"A terrible accident occurred at the Market street bridge, Williamsport, last Friday afternoon. The bridge is bein rebuilt.. Two workmen were sitting in slings underneath the floor of the bridge. adjusting an iron-plate beam, when  a team came across the bridge. The teamster was warned of the danger, but went on driving across the span that had not been strengthened yet, The floor fell through, the team, wagon, and driver following, all on top of the two workmen underneath. One of the workmen, named Somers, was drowned, and the other two men were seriously injured." - Northumberland Press, Jan 1890 - reporting on an accident that occurred Dec 27th 1889.

On January 27th 1915, 23 year old Katharine Murray jumped from the Market Street Bridge.  The Altoona Tribune reported "Jumping from the Market Steet Bridge, Williamsport, threatens to become an epidemic."  Murray was  not injured.  She was rescued and "removed to the Williamsport Hospital pending an inquiry into her sanity."

In 1926, the county commissioners were having a concrete railing placed on the west side of the south approach to the Market Street Bridge.  "The railing is three feet six inches high and will undoubtedly make an excellent guard." A concrete rail already existed on the west side of the northern approach.

Lighting for the bridge was added prior to June 1939, when the Daily Item reported "For bridged less than 1,000 feet in length, a special act is required.  This was done for the Market Street Bridge, Williamsport"

The trolley on the bridge, and the original Hiawatha docked underneath

In January of 1945, the Market Street Bridge was damaged in an automobile accident.  One way traffic was permitted for a week following the accident, but on Jan 14th the bridge was closed and all traffic rerouted across the Maynard Street Bridge.

On Thursday May 11 1950, workmen at the Market Street Bridge cut loose three spans and with hydraulic jacks raised them, "preparatory to moving the bridge to the west."  The first span was to move 48 feet to an abutment already in place.  The second would move 21 feet, and the third only 5 feet.

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• Berlin Iron Bridge Co. book. Published by Berlin Iron Bridge Co. 1890. 
• The viewers appointed by the court of quarter sessions to view the Williamsport Market Street bridge, the Maynard Street bridge and the Jersey Shore bridges filed their several reports at the meeting of the court Monday morning.  They have reported that all the bridges were an unjust burden on the traveling public and should be opened for public use as free.- Gazette and Bulletin

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