College Street Viaduct, College Street over Norfolk Southern Railway, Macon

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER GA-168. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The College Street Viaduct is located over the Norfolk Southern Railway along College Street in Macon-Bibb County, Georgia. The College Street Viaduct is located at latitude: longitude: This coordinate represents the middle of the bridge deck and was obtained on September 12, using Google Earth. The coordinate s datum is World Geodetic System There is no restriction on its release to the public. Present Owner/Occupant: Norfolk Southern currently owns the railroad right-of-way (ROW) and the brick viaduct. Macon-Bibb County currently owns the College Street ROW.

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER GA-168. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The College Street Viaduct possesses a state level of significance as a Romanesque Revival style brick arch viaduct. The structure was constructed in when the Central of Georgia Railway was at its height, operating rail lines that reached virtually all areas of Georgia. The College Street Viaduct serves as a good and representative example of late nineteenth century engineering and architecture associated with railroads.

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER GA-168. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The documentation for this report was prepared by Amber Rhea of Atkins North America, Inc. with the assistance of Cayley Champeau at the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), for GDOT P.I. Donnie Richardson and James Southerland of GDOT completed the large-format photography. COLLEGE STREET VIADUCT HAER No. GA-168 (Page 2) Part I. Historical Information A. Physical History: 1. Date(s) of construction: The College Street Viaduct was constructed in Plans dated May 24, were prepared by Edge Moor Bridge Works and depict the current structure as it appears today (see Figure 3 in Supplemental Material). Based on a review of historic maps, it appears that the present structure dates from this time and replaced an earlier slab bridge (see Figure 1 in Supplemental Material). 2.

Architect/Engineer: The College Street Viaduct was designed by Edge Moor Bridge Works of Wilmington, Delaware. According to the plan sheet, the design was based upon specifications developed by Theodore Cooper, a civil engineer who was twice awarded the Norman Medal by the American Society of Civil Engineers for his influential publications on railroad and highway bridge design. Edge Moor Bridge Works was established in and operated until when the company was acquired by Morgan s American Bridge Company. 3. Builder/Contractor/Supplier: Edge Moor Bridge Works specialized in structural iron and steel and may have fabricated the structural steel components of the bridge. During background research, no additional information was found regarding the builder, contractor, or supplier.

The masonry arch was probably constructed by local Macon brick masons. 4. Original plans and construction: The original plans for the viaduct are dated May 24, and were submitted to the Central of Georgia Railway by Edge Moor Bridge Works (see Figure 3 in Supplemental Material). Construction was completed that same year. The original appearance of the viaduct was essentially the same as that which exists today a semicircular brick masonry arch with wide abutments and Romanesque Revival stylistic elements and a crisscross motif steel railing at the street level. 5. Alterations and additions: The College Street Viaduct remains substantially intact as constructed. Utilities were attached to the structure in the according to plans prepared by AT&T in (see Figure 4 in Supplemental Material).

Non-historic repairs have been made to the original steel crisscross railing where small areas have been damaged. B. Historical Context: The College Street Viaduct, a Romanesque Revival style brick masonry arch, was constructed using a one-over-five common bond, which is indicative of its period of construction. Elements of the Romanesque Revival style include protruding bricks and corbeling that forms an arch with decorative pendants. The College Street Viaduct is an intact representative example of late nineteenth century engineering and architecture COLLEGE STREET VIADUCT HAER No. GA-168 (Page 3) associated with railroads.

The structure was constructed in when the Central of Georgia Railway was at its height, operating rail lines that reached the majority of Georgia with Macon at the center of many converging rail lines. In a group of businessmen in Savannah, Georgia organized Georgia s first railroad company, the Central Rail Road & Canal Company, in response to a newly opened railroad that connected Charleston, South Carolina and Augusta, Georgia. The founders of the company were concerned that the Charleston-Augusta line would divert goods that traditionally had been sent down river to Savannah. In construction began on the company s first rail line, from Savannah to Macon.

The line was completed by The company name was changed to the Central of Georgia Railway in and was often shortened to Central of Georgia or simply the Central. At the same time, other railroads were developing in Georgia with the purpose of connecting coastal ports to inland markets, including the Monroe Railroad (charted in December the Milledgeville & Gordon Railroad (chartered in the Augusta and Waynesboro Railroad (chartered in and the Southwestern Railroad (chartered in Throughout the mid-to-late nineteenth century, railroads were in constant financial upheaval, with companies often entering foreclosure or receivership, or being acquired by other companies.

During this period, the Central of Georgia expanded its reach by acquiring and consolidating smaller railroads that were struggling financially, including the four aforementioned lines and several others. By the early twentieth century, the Central of Georgia operated rail lines that stretched throughout Georgia, covering areas as far-reaching as Chickamauga in the northwest corner of the state; Atlanta, Athens, and Macon in the center; Augusta to the east; Savannah to the southeast; and Albany to the southwest. The Central of Georgia was notably absent in south central and northeast Georgia. The Central of Georgia is significant as Georgia s first railroad company, as well as one of the two largest railroad systems in the state during the middle to late century.

In addition, it is unique as a Georgia-based venture, in contrast with its largest competitor, the Southern Railway, which was organized in Virginia and controlled by Morgan and other northern interests. A majority of the Central of Georgia trackage remains intact and in service today, operated by its successor system, Norfolk Southern. The railroad line that runs under the College Street Viaduct was originally part of the Monroe Railroad. The 25-mile line between Forsyth and Macon opened in December just 15 years after Macon s founding. In the railroad was renamed the Macon & Western Railroad.

Its tracks reached Atlanta in The Macon & Western Railroad was consolidated into the Central of Georgia in As an antebellum rail line, it serves as a physical testament to the manual labor of enslaved Africans in its construction. The College Street Viaduct, constructed in replaced an earlier slab structure that is depicted on maps dated and it is unknown if that structure was contemporaneous with the COLLEGE STREET VIADUCT HAER No. GA-168 (Page 4) construction of the railroad. An article in the December 14, issue of the Macon Telegraph reported that at the previous night s council meeting, the Macon aldermen ordered the Central of Georgia Railway to widen its bridge on College Street to the width of the roadway or be fined $30 a day for each day the bridge was not widened.

By Macon was served by nine different rail lines that converged on the city, with a tenth under construction (see Figure 2 in Supplemental Material). These rail lines connected Macon to Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Savannah, and other locations throughout Georgia and surrounding states. Trains carried goods, mail, and passengers, and spurred development of local economies, often being responsible for the development of new towns along their routes. By the there were approximately 100 arrivals and departures from Macon s Terminal Station each day.

Although not all of the late nineteenth century rail lines remain active, Macon retains a substantial amount of historic rail-related infrastructure, including the Monroe Banking and Railroad Company building (now used as City Hall) and the Terminal Station, designed by Alfred T. Fellheimer, the architect of New York s Grand Central Terminal. A number of historic railroad bridges, viaducts, and culverts are also present. Many are constructed of steel and/or concrete. Aside from the College Street Viaduct, few masonry arch structures remain.1 It appears that masonry arch technology may have been used earlier in the construction of railroad infrastructure, with steel and concrete coming more into favor as the late nineteenth and early twentieth century progressed. Part II.

Structural/Design Information A. General Statement: 1. Character: The College Street Viaduct is representative of late nineteenth and early twentieth century construction. The Romanesque Revival style structure is characteristic of design trends in residential, commercial, and infrastructure development at the time. The Romanesque Revival style became popular in the mid-nineteenth century and was inspired by eleventh and twelfth century Romanesque architecture in Europe. Both styles make heavy use of archways, with Romanesque Revival being simpler than its medieval counterpart. The crisscross steel railing and the decorative brick corbelling on this masonry structure distinguish it from other structures of similar age and design in the surrounding area.

The viaduct is within the period of the significance of the National Register listed Macon Historic District and is considered a contributing feature of the district. 1 Other extant masonry arches in the Macon vicinity: 1) ca. brick segmental arch overpass carrying the former Central of Georgia tracks over the westbound lane of Riverside Drive; 2) early century stone semicircular arch drainage culvert under the former Central of Georgia tracks near Linden Avenue; 3) ca. brick semicircular arch overpass carrying the former Central of Georgia tracks over Ocmulgee National Park Road. COLLEGE STREET VIADUCT HAER No. GA-168 (Page 5) 2. Condition of fabric: The elements of the College Street Viaduct that make it eligible for the National Register of Historic Places are substantially intact.

The original brickwork remains in place as constructed and has suffered very little damage. The crisscross motif steel railings have sustained minor damage in some sections but remain largely intact. The archway that is in place today matches the plan sheet almost exactly. From a structural standpoint, the viaduct is in declining condition. The viaduct is currently load- posted due to undermining of the southwest abutment and the steel-framed superstructure elements, which have section loss due to corrosion. Furthermore, the railings are substandard for both pedestrian and vehicular loads. B. Description: The College Street Viaduct is a historic semicircular arch structure of load bearing masonry construction (see Images 1 and 2 in Supplemental Material).

The viaduct consists of a large masonry span laid in a one-over-five common bond, with decorative brickwork surrounding the upper portion of the archway. The brick ornamentation includes elements of the Romanesque Revival style, such as protruding bricks and corbeling that form a semicircular arch with decorative pendants. Wide masonry abutments sit on either side of the railroad ROW, which are presumably backfilled with soil, sitting atop nineteenth century footings. The bridge deck has a width of 40 and a length of 90 . The archway narrows slightly as it approaches the ground approximately 21 at its widest point, and 16 at the base and has a height of 20 . Historic steel soil tie-backs are present on the structure, with the tie-back plates missing in some areas.

Historic steel supports, decking, and crisscross motif railings are also present and match what is depicted on the plan sheet. Non- historic utilities were attached to the underside of the deck in the C. Site Information: The area surrounding the College Street Viaduct is within the Macon Historic District, which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in The district s boundary was expanded in The immediate vicinity is part of the historic Huguenin Heights/Tatnall Square neighborhood. Residential development began in this area after the establishment of Mercer University and continued into the early twentieth century. The neighborhood around the College Street Viaduct is primarily residential, with scattered churches and one-story commercial buildings.

Historic brick street pavers are visible at the intersection of College Street and Chestnut Street. A variety of architectural styles, including Italianate, Queen Anne, and Folk Victorian, are prevalent in the area, which remains largely intact and retains a high degree of integrity. COLLEGE STREET VIADUCT HAER No. GA-168 (Page 6) Part III. Sources of Information. A. Primary

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER GA-168. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

HABS/HAER Inventory for State Bridge Number April-November Accessed online via The Cost of a Brick Grave. The Macon Telegraph, December 14, p. 6. Stored on microfilm in the Genealogical & Historical Room, Washington Memorial Library, Macon, Georgia. Theodore Cooper, Engineer, Dies at 81. The New York Times, August 25, Accessed online via B. Secondary Alvarez, Eugene. Travel On Southern Antebellum Railroads, University of Alabama Press, McDaniel, Matt, et al. Georgia s Railroads, Historic Context and Statewide Survey. CALYX Engineers + Consultants for Georgia Department of Transportation, Reed, Mary Beth, et al. Historic Streetcar Systems in Georgia: Context and Inventory.

New South Associates for Georgia Department of Transportation, Technical Notes on Brick Construction: Technical Notes 31 Brick Masonry Arches. The Brick Industry Association, Young, Ida, et al. History of Macon, Georgia. Lyon, Marshall & Brooks, COLLEGE STREET VIADUCT HAER No. GA-168 (Page 7) Supplemental Material COLLEGE STREET VIADUCT HAER No. GA-168 (Page 8) Figure 1: College Street bridge depicted on Macon Birds Eye View Map. This appears to be an earlier slab design. Source: Washington Memorial Library. Used with permission. COLLEGE STREET VIADUCT HAER No. GA-168 (Page 9) Figure 2: Inset depicting railroad facilities, from Macon Birds Eye View Map. Source: Washington Memorial Library. Used with permission. COLLEGE STREET VIADUCT HAER No.

GA-168 (Page 10) Figure 3: plan sheet for the College Street Viaduct, prepared by Edge Moor Bridge Works. Source: Macon-Bibb County. Used with permission. COLLEGE STREET VIADUCT HAER No. GA-168 (Page 11) Figure 4: plan sheet for the utility attachments, prepared by AT&T. Source: Macon-Bibb County. Used with permission. COLLEGE STREET VIADUCT HAER No. GA-168 (Page 12) Image 1: View of the College Street Viaduct, looking south along the Norfolk Southern right-of- way. Field photograph taken by consultant historian Derek Anderson of Inc., July COLLEGE STREET VIADUCT HAER No. GA-168 (Page 13) Image 2: Detail view of steel railing along north side of College Street. Field photograph taken by consultant historian Derek Anderson of Inc., July