Northampton Street Bridge

Abstract

The historical background and the design and construction of the Northampton Street Bridge are documented. This structure is a well preserved example of an unusual steel cantilever bridge of the 1890s. It spans the Delaware River at Easton, Pennsylvania, and was built to replace Timothy Palmer's wooden covered bridge of 1806. Its designer, James Madison Porter 3rd, was a prominent citizen of Easton and a professor of civil engineering at Lafayette College. Keenly aware of the townspeople's desire for a handsome structure, Porter selected a bridge configuration and proportions well suited for the surrounding area. The substructure and superstructure and the construction sequence are described, on the basis of information given in the contract documents and in the design and detail drawings, and in construction photographs. Traffic and maintenance over the years, and damage caused by Hurricane Diane in 1955 and subsequent repairs, are reviewed. The bridge remains in service and is readily accessible for informal inspection. The most important documentation records are available in the nearby Lafayette College library and in the Easton Public Library.