Historic Bridges of the U.S. | Lake Park Drive Bridge

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Photos

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The south approach

This is a beautiful bridge, built in 1893 (or 1896, depending on which history you read) but the sad thing is that no one gets to see the details on the faces. Note on the left side of this photo, a fine example of Milwaukee's signature "Harp Light."

Photo taken by J.R. Manning in July 2007

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The east railing

From my college days nearby, I seem to remember the balustrades being concrete urns that might have been replaced by these precast quatrafoil shapes. Other bridges in Lake Park were built with urn balustrades but documents from the Friends of Lake Park talk about the bridge having "quatrafoil openings" in the railings. (My memory has failed me before.)

Photo taken by J.R. Manning in July 2007

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The west face

The bridge allows entrance to the north side of the park by crossing this ravine. It is well covered with trees and underbrush. This is the west face of the bridge.

Photo taken by J.R. Manning in July 2007

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The west face from below.

The west face of the bridge as seen from the ravine. Note the ornate terra cotta details.

Photo taken by J.R. Manning in July 2007

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More fallen tiles. Sadly, the great decor on this bridge is never seen. The arch appears to be constructed with wooden slats, covered with mud.

Photo taken by J.R. Manning in July 2007

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Arch Meets Lannon Stone

Photo taken by J.R. Manning in July 2007

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Arch details

The arch appears to be constructed with wooden slats, covered with mud.

Photo taken by J.R. Manning in July 2007

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More arch details

Photo taken by J.R. Manning in July 2007

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The east face

Photo taken by J.R. Manning in July 2007

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Brick and terra cotta details

More of the mostly unseen detail on the faces of this bridge. There are four terra cotta rosettes.

Photo taken by J.R. Manning in July 2007

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Brick and terra cotta details

Another missing terra cotta tile.

Photo taken by J.R. Manning in July 2007

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Bricks meet Lannon Stone meet grade

Photo taken by J.R. Manning in July 2007

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The north portal

At one time, this road went all the way through the park. The road now dead ends at the tennis courts. The reduction in traffic has likely lengthened the life of this bridge.

Photo taken by J.R. Manning in July 2007

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"Quatrafoil" ballustrades

These appear to have been recently replaced.

Photo taken by J.R. Manning in July 2007

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View Of Deck, Looking North

"The Lake Park Brick Arch Bridge is located in one of Milwaukee's early public parks designed by the notable Boston landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmstead. The span is Wisconsin's only remaining example of a high style masonry bridge. Because of the rarity of masonry construction in bridge design and its association with the Olmstead office, it remains one of the nation's most prominent ornamental park bridges."

--Edwin Cordes, Wisconsin Historic Bridges Project, Summer 1987

Photo taken by Martin Stupich, June 30, 1987 for HAER

View photos at Library of Congress

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View Of East Rail, West Face, Looking North

"All the bridges [in Lake Park] with the exception of the concrete footbridge, were designed by Oscar Sanne and built between the years 1893 and 1898. The brick stone arch bridge, as well as the other bridges, were pat of a large scale plan for the park by the notable landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted."

--Edwin Cordes, Wisconsin Historic Bridges Project, Summer 1987

Photo taken by Martin Stupich, June 30, 1987 for HAER

View photos at Library of Congress

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Detail View Of East Rail, East Side, Showing Masonry Wall

"Terra cotta detailing is used extensively throughout the structure. The face stones of the arch and four pilasters are of segmented, rusticated terra cotta. Four medallions with floral motifs frame the arch. The railing were composed of terra cotta bricks which form quatrafoil openings."

--Edwin Cordes, Wisconsin Historic Bridges Project, Summer 1987

Photo taken by Martin Stupich, June 30, 1987 for HAER

View photos at Library of Congress

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View Of South Abutment, West Side, Looking Southeast

"The west railing has since been replaced with a cast stone replication, due to deterioration."

--Edwin Cordes, Wisconsin Historic Bridges Project, Summer 1987

Photo taken by Martin Stupich, June 30, 1987 for HAER

View photos at Library of Congress

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View Of Southwest Spandrel Wall, Terra Cotta Medallion Pilaster

Photo taken by Martin Stupich, June 30, 1987 for HAER

View photos at Library of Congress

Map

Vicinity Map

Vicinity map

Map links:

The Significance of Lake Park and the Lake Park Bridges

Written by J.R. Manning

The west shore of Lake Michigan features a tall bluff, varying in height but as high as 70 meters, that overlooks the lake. In the mid 1800's, the civic leaders of Milwaukee recognized the importance of preserving public space in the form of parks and began to buy up land throughout the area. One of the spots was the area that is now known as Lake Park. The significance of this site is nothing new, burial mounds of Native Americans were found here.

In 1854, the U.S. Lighthouse service built the North Point Lighthouse on a two acre plat that divided the planned park area. The lighthouse was moved back 100 feet because of bluff erosion, a problem that continues to this day. The city and the federal government came to an agreement in 1893 that allowed the park to be developed as planned, and the lighthouse continued in operation until is was decommissioned in 1994. The lighthouse is now a part of the park and is being restored.

The Milwaukee Park Commission contracted with Frederick Law Olmsted, the noted landscape architect, to design Lake Park. (Ohlmstead is remembered for designing New York's Central Park, the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago and the grounds of the Vanderbilt's Biltmore Mansion.)

This bridge was built in 1893. The Lion Bridges, that span the ravines that frame the lighthouse, were completed in 1897. The footbridge was built in 1905 and the Grand Staircase in 1908.

You can learn more about this wonderful park and the structures of it at the website of the Lake Park Friends.

Facts

Overview: Stone arch bridge over a ravine on Lake Park Drive in Milwaukee
Location: Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Status: Open to traffic
History: Built 1896
Builder: - Gerhard F. Stuewe Co.
Design: Stone arch
Dimensions: Length of largest span: 35.4 ft.
Total length: 49.9 ft.
Deck width: 26.9 ft.
Recognition: Posted to the National Register of Historic Places
Approximate latitude, longitude: +43.07410, -87.86969 (decimal degrees)
43°04'27" N, 87°52'11" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates: 16/429198/4769410 (zone/easting/northing)
USGS topographic map: Milwaukee OE E
Inventory numbers: NRHP 93000339 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
BH 34854 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection (as of 08/2006): Deck condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Appraisal: Structurally deficient
Sufficiency rating: 59.5 (out of 100)
Average daily traffic (as of 2004): 50

Update Log

August 8, 2008: Updated by J.R. Manning
August 6, 2008: New photos from J.R. Manning
July 2, 2008: Updated by J.R. Manning
June 27, 2008: Essay added by J.R. Manning
February 27, 2008: Updated by J.R. Manning: Added GPS Coordinates
February 3, 2008: New photos from J.R. Manning

Sources

J.R. Manning - thekitchenguy [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
Lake Park Friends - Friends' description of this bridge.
HAER WI-20 - Lake Park Brick Arch Bridge, Lake Park Drive (North entrance to Lake Park), Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, WI

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Comments

Lake Park Drive Bridge

Posted February 3, 2008, by J.R. Manning (thekitchenguy [at] sbcglobal [dot] net)

For more about this bridge and the other interesting bridges and structures in Lake Park, see http://www.lakeparkfriends.org/explore/brick_arch_bridge.shtml