Newsletter #136 - Roebling's Delaware Aqueduct
The best bridge in the country, maybe the world.
Everyone knows the name “Roebling,” because everyone knows about the street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, that runs from McCarren Park to Division Street. Also, you used to eat at the Roebling Tea Room, right?
At one point you might have wondered who this Roebling person was, which would have led you to discover the name, John A. Roebling.
John A. Roebling designed the Brooklyn Bridge.
Now it all makes sense.
That said, many people might not be aware that John A. Roebling designed a bridge called Roebling’s Delaware Aqueduct which connects Minisink Ford, NY to Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania. It’s the oldest existing suspension bridge in the United States.
When I first moved into my house in upstate New York, I had no idea about any of this, because I was seemingly oblivious to just about everything.
But there was a clue. There was a photograph in my basement that the previous owner left behind.
It didn’t take me long to drive by this bridge and connect its unique design to the photograph in my basement.
Enamored by its striking design, rich history, and how it looks in the fog, it has since become a regular stop on my morning fog adventures.
I like to stop in the parking lot on the New York side and make a photograph of the span. Then I’ll just move on. But sometimes, if I’m feeling up to it, I’ll get out and take a quick walk from one side to the other.
I took that walk on April 15, 2024, and rolled some video footage. These are some screenshots.
Oh, this reminds me, last fall my friends at WSDIA and I got a permit from the National Park Service to do a photo shoot on the bridge for the Point Line Plane Rug they designed for Design Within Reach.
This was fun.
Anyway, it takes about 10 minutes to do a roundtrip walk, across the bridge and back.
That’s enough time. That’s all you need to take it in, if you’re ever in the area.
I now understand why the previous owners left that photograph in the basement.
I printed up my own photograph and placed it next to theirs.
Hopefully, the next person who owns my house will see these photographs and wonder what the story is.
Video
Before you archive this newsletter, make sure to check out this “Reel” I made last summer where I talk about birdwatching at the bridge.
I pack so much good stuff in this short (1:30) video, that I believe it’s basically a masterpiece.
Throwback
Newsletter #59 - The Bridges of the Upper Delaware
SUPPORT THIS NEWSLETTER
I always want this newsletter to be free, and I truly dislike the idea of paywalling any of my work, so the main stories will always be available for everyone to read. Click subscribe if you aren’t already to make sure you don’t miss anything and feel free to forward this along to a friend.
If you want to pay, I’m not going to stop you! In fact, I’d really appreciate it. Just hit the button below. If you send me your address, I’ll send you a postcard.
Julia Sforza proofreads this email.
Zach Vitale’s favorite bridge is the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
Seth Werkheiser answers all my questions.
Gotta laugh about the timing of your newsletter with mine about The Pulaski Skyway! The Delaware Aqueduct is a beauty, and undoubtedly involved a lot less corruption and general madness in its construction than the Skyway...
Love seeing these stunning photos. Just took a walk under the bridge yesterday. Bald eagles, loud frogs, the shaking of the bridge as cars pass overheard. Wonderful!