Major Bibliographical References (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.) Previous documentation on file (NPS): Primary location of additional data: - preliminary determination of individual listing (36 - State Historic Preservation Office CFR 67) has been requested x Other State agency -previously listed in the National Register _ Federal agency - previously determined eligible by the National - Local government Register - University - designated a National Historic Landmark - Other. -recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey Name of repository: #. Massachusetts Highway Dept., 10 Park Plaza _ recorded by Historic American Engineering Record #. NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No.
1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Crossman Bridge Warren, Worcester County, Massachusetts Section number Page 1 8. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Crossman Bridge, located in Warren, Massachusetts, is significant as one of only three surviving lenticular truss bridges remaining in place in Massachusetts. The type, characteristic of the varied metal-truss designs of late 19th-century bridge builders, was pioneered by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company of East Berlin, Connecticut, a major 19th-century bridge fabricator. In addition to the two significant through truss bridges surviving - Bardwell's Ferry, Conway/Shelburne (NRIND 2/10/2000), and Aiken Street, Lowell (NRDIS, 6/5/78) - the Crossman Bridge is the only surviving pony truss. The bridge is exceptional in retaining so much of its original appearance.
The abutments were replaced in the 1930s and the deck was altered during restoration in the period from 2004 to 2008. The recent bridge repairs took pains to retain the ornamental detail that characterizes bridges from this period. The Crossman Bridge, also known locally as the Gilbert Road Bridge, embodies many distinctive characteristics of the early years of metal-truss design, including wrought iron as the principal material, pinned connections, and a patented truss pattern. By 1900, all of these features had virtually disappeared from American bridge building. In their place, a standardized design emerged for small highway bridges based on the use of steel members, riveted connections, and only two major truss patterns, the Warren and the Pratt trusses. The Crossman Bridge represents an increasingly rare survivor of the era before standardized design prevailed.
The Crossman Bridge also reflects the optimism and town pride that characterized the last half of the 19th century in Warren - a period of rapid growth due to industrialization. The Crossman Bridge retains integrity of design, location, setting, materials, feeling, workmanship, and association; it fulfills National Register criteria A and C at the local level. A Brief History of Warren Warren (originally called Western) was established as an independent town in 1741. Most of what became Warren had been the westerly section of the town of Brookfield, hence the name Western. In 1834, the town changed its name to Warren because of ongoing confusion with the town of Weston in Middlesex County. The name Warren was chosen to honor the Revolutionary War hero, Dr. Joseph Warren, who died in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Prior to about 1790, Warren consisted of scattered farms with no central village.
This began to change with the completion of the town's second meetinghouse in 1797, along the Quaboag River in what became Warren Center. By 1830, Warren had evolved from an agricultural community to an early industrial one, with an ironworks, a powder mill, and small textile mills alongside houses, stores, and shops. A few miles to the west of the center, a second commercial area, known as West Warren, began to develop as a mill village. The railroad arrived in 1839, connecting the town with the population centers of Boston, Worcester, and Springfield, and contributing greatly to the growth of manufacturing and the concomitant population increase. Between 1840 and 1880 the town tripled in size, reaching a peak population of 4,681 in 1890.
The town's two villages included several cotton and woolen mills, boot and shoe manufacturers, the Knowles Steam Pump Works, a soap factory, and, near the site of the Crossman Bridge, the A. W. Crossman & Sons edge-tool factory. (continued) NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Crossman Bridge Warren, Worcester County, Massachusetts Section number Page 2 Thus, the last quarter of the 19th century, when the Crossman Bridge was constructed, was Warren's greatest period of prosperity. The bridge's 18-foot width was substantial for a small-town highway bridge of the period, and the lattice railing and end-post finials are more typical of Berlin bridges in urban locations. But at the time it was built, Warren had a thriving industrial economy.
Having strong, serviceable bridges was important to local manufacturers so they could move raw materials and products over local roads. The fact that the town paid extra for some ornamental flourishes undoubtedly reflects Warren's self-image as a place of progress and prosperity. The strong economy is also reflected in a number of notable civic and institutional buildings constructed in Warren Center during the last quarter of the 19th century. These include the First Congregational Church (1875, NR 2004), Warren Public Library (1889, NR 2000), the Boston and Albany Railroad Station (1891), and St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church (1897). Warren also constructed a new town hall in 1879, but the building was destroyed by fire and replaced by the present Warren Town Hall in 1900 (NR 2001).
Historical Background of the Gilbert Road Crossing The Crossman Bridge replaced a wooden truss that had been erected at this site on the Quaboag River in 1857. Known as Collister's Bridge, it was one of a series of wooden bridges dating at least as far back as 1795. Present-day Gilbert Road led from the village of West Warren south toward the outlying farms in the southwest quadrant of the town, and provided a route to the adjoining town of Brimfield. It also afforded access to the A. W. Crossman and Sons edge-tool factory, which stood on the east side of the road, just south of the bridge across the Quaboag River. The Crossman factory was erected in 1854 by Amory W. Crossman (1818-1893); the 1879 bird's-eye view of Warren shows it as an L-shaped, two-story, gable-roofed structure between the railroad line and the river, with a waterpower headrace leading to the factory.
Employing about 25 workers, Crossman manufactured scythes, chisels, draw knives, planes, and other tools, using cast steel as his stock rather than the more usual wrought iron. In addition to his factory, he also owned a large commercial block in the village, a brickyard, and a grove, which he made available to the public for picnics and baseball games. Called the "Father of West Warren," A. W. Crossman was an influential man who served several terms as a selectman, as did his son, business associate, and namesake, Amory (ca. 1835-1922). In the early 1890s, the factory was bought by the Gilbert Manufacturing Company, after which the bridge began to be called by its current name - the Gilbert Road Bridge. The factory burned down in 1911.
The Crossman Bridge was authorized by the Warren town meeting on April 2, 1888, with the appropriation of $2,200 to be used for an "iron bridge or wood bridge;" the choice of materials was left to the selectmen, one of whom was Amory Crossman. The bids were submitted by the middle of May, and the contract of $2,175 was awarded to the Berlin Iron Bridge Company, which covered the design, ironwork, and erection of the bridge. Peter Guernon, a local resident who did a great deal of the road work for the town, built the abutments for $175. The old bridge's timbers were sold at auction. (continued) NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No.
1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Crossman Bridge Warren, Worcester County, Massachusetts Section number Page 3 Engineering Significance of Crossman Bridge The Crossman Bridge's lenticular truss was one of a myriad of patented designs that characterized the American bridge industry in its formative stage. In part, such designs were an attempt to improve the technology of bridge building, but they also served to distinguish the products of one fabricator from another. The Berlin Iron Bridge Company's lenticular truss offered some savings of material over a comparably sized Pratt truss, though the advantage must have been partially offset by the greater complexity in fabricating the curved top chord's multiple angles.
Equally important, the design's unique profile provided something distinctive that Berlin agents could point out when trying to convince local highway officials of their product's superiority. In other respects, the Crossman Bridge is typical of the vast majority of its metal-truss contemporaries. In the 1880s, steel was still in the process of replacing wrought iron for structural forms, so most bridges of the period were built with wrought- iron members. Similarly, pinned connections were only beginning to give way to riveted joints. Pinned connections were popular because they simplified the erection of the bridge, requiring only large wrenches to join prefabricated members, instead of the more demanding technique of field riveting. Many engineers also claimed that pinned joints allowed forces to be transferred less ambiguously, though all agreed that riveted bridges were more rigid.
The Berlin Iron Bridge Company New England's leading 19th-century manufacturer of bridges began as an offshoot of the tinware industry. Roys and Wilcox, makers of tinners' tools and other metal-forming mechanisms, started a company in East Berlin, Connecticut, in 1868 to market sheet-iron products made with their rolling machines. The Corrugated Metal Company, as it became known, produced roofing material and metal-clad fire doors and shutters. The company soon became involved in structural ironwork, when it began to provide roof trusses as well as the exterior material. The enterprise was not particularly successful until 1877 when a new investor, S. C. Wilcox, realized that the plant had the capacity to manufacture highway bridges.
The following year, the Corrugated Metal Company purchased rights to William Douglas's patented "parabolic" truss, and produced the first of the lenticular bridges that would soon dot the landscape of the Northeast. Douglas, educated at West Point, joined the company as treasurer and executive manager and continued to refine his design; he was awarded a second patent in 1885, by which time the company had changed its name to the Berlin Iron Bridge Company. The late 19th century was a good time to be in the iron bridge business. As the industry developed, the price of iron trusses steadily dropped until they were competitive with wooden spans, especially when their superior durability and resistance to damage during floods was figured in (wooden bridges typically lasted only 20 to 30 years).
The only other alternative for shorter spans was building arches in stone, which remained very expensive. Throughout America, local highway officials opted to replace their wooden bridges with iron, and firms such as the Berlin Iron Bridge Company were happy to oblige. At its height, the Berlin Iron Bridge Company was probably the largest structural fabricator in New England. Some 400 workers were employed at its East Berlin plant, with another large group of workers in the field during the erection season. There is no definitive count of the company's bridges, though at least 600 are known to have been completed during its first ten years, and the company itself claimed at least 1,000. Most were in the Northeast, though even today Berlin trusses survive as far away as Texas. The company's 1889 catalog listed 69 lenticular trusses in Massachusetts.
A few multiple- span bridges were of tremendous size (such as Lowell's 765-foot-long Aiken Street Bridge), but most were a single span in length, with through-trusses used in crossings of more than 100 feet, and pony trusses, such as the Crossman Bridge, for shorter spans. The lenticular design accounted for the bulk of the company's output, although it also produced other bridge types, specialized industrial structures such as dock cranes, and ironwork for roofs and buildings. (continued) NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Crossman Bridge Warren, Worcester County, Massachusetts Section number Page The Berlin Iron Bridge Company was absorbed in 1900 by the American Bridge Company, a largely successful attempt by J.P.
Morgan to monopolize the country's structural fabricating industry. Almost immediately, some former Berlin Iron Bridge employees started a new firm, the Berlin Construction Company, which soon regained much of its predecessor's influence in the New England bridge market; it remains in business today as Berlin Steel. Although all are similar, no two surviving lenticular bridges are exactly alike, and so each is important in illustrating the variations within the company's basic design. Among small bridges of the Crossman Bridge type, for example, there appear two types of lower-chord end connections, pinned and threaded, and two types of vertical members: tapered posts that fit inside the upper chord, and straight lattice girders that are secured on the outside of the upper chord.
Many of these small lenticular bridges had tapered floor beams, deeper in the center, while others have the straight type found here. Some lenticular pony trusses (but not this one) have longitudinal stiffeners at the level of the roadway. Finally, Crossman Bridge's railing is uncommon, if not unique, among Berlin bridges: it appears to have been a compromise between the company's low-cost pipe-rail option and its more expensive full-height ornamental lattice. The industrial prosperity of Warren began to decline in the early 20th century. In 1897 the steam pump shop, now known as Blake & Knowles works moved to Cambridge. (Its Cambridge factory was listed on the National Register in 1997.) After World War I, the New England textile industry began its migration to the southern states.
Most of Warren's textile mills had closed by the early 1930s as a result of the stock market crash of 1929 and the resulting Great Depression. The population declined from its peak of nearly 5,000, but never fell below 3,000. After World War II, the population began to increase slowly, reaching nearly 5,000 today. The rise of the automobile, suburbanization, and general wear and tear have taken their toll on the Crossman Bridge, now known locally as the Gilbert Road Bridge. Nevertheless, it retains its most important original features, and the bridge stands today as an important reminder of the industrial heritage of the Town of Warren during its most prosperous period. The town's commitment to its preservation symbolizes the pride the community takes in its history, and its appreciation for the rarity of its lenticular bridge.
Archaeological Significance Structural evidence from 18'h and 19t*-century bridge abutments and retaining walls may contribute important information on materials and methods relating to bridge construction, including their supporting structures. Analysis of the stratigraphy associated with Gilbert Road and its approach to the bridge may contribute information relating to 18th- and 19th-century road construction and maintenance. Additional historical research, combined with the above information, may contribute information that indicates whether a new site was used for each bridge, or whether each successive bridge was built at the same location. (end) NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No.
1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page Crossman Bridge Warren, Worcester County, Massachusetts 9. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Bailey, O. H. & Co. View of Warren, Mass., 1879. Boston, 1879. Berlin Iron Bridge Company. Catalog, 1889. Buck, Sylvia G. Email communication regarding the history of the Crossman (now Gilbert Road) Bridge, January 24, 2006. (On file at the Massachusetts Historical Commission.) Ceccacci, Susan McDaniel. "Warren First Congregational/Federated Church National Register Nomination," 2004. (On file at the Massachusetts Historical Commission) Crossman, A. W. & Son. Revised List, and Catalogue of A. W. Crossman & Son. Worcester: Edward R. Fiske, 1870. Darnell, Victor. Directory of American Bridge Building Companies, 1840-1900. Washington: Society for Industrial Archaeology, 1985. _.
"Lenticular Bridges from East Berlin, Connecticut," Industrial Archeology 5 (1979): 19-32. Douglas, William O. "Improvement in Truss-Bridges," United States Patent Office Patent No, 202,526 (March 26, 1878). "Good Showing at Warren," Springfield Republican, January 1, 1889. Mentions Crossman's Bridge as part of a review of the year's construction in Warren. Lowenthal, Larry and Greg Farmer. "Warren Town Hall National Register Nomination." 2001. (On file at the Massachusetts Historical Commission) "The Plant of the Berlin Iron Bridge Company," Engineering News 3 (October 3, 1891): 87-91. Roper, Stephen J. "Crossman Bridge, W-7-6," Massachusetts Historic Bridge Inventory. Boston: Massachusetts Highway Department, 1987. Stott, Peter. Memorandum regarding the integrity of the Crossman Bridge, Gilbert Road, Warren (WRR.906), Feb 5, 2010. Massachusetts Historical Commission files.
Contains 2007 Massachusetts Highway Department notes and inspection report. Warren, Town of. Annual Reports of the Town Officers, March 1, 1889. Warren: Herald Printing Company, 1889. (end) Crossman Bridge, Name of Property Worcester,MA County, State 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property less than one acre UTM References See continuation sheet. (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet) 1. 19 Zone 727350 Easting 4676550 Northing Zone Easting 2. Zone 4. Easting Northing Zone Easting - See continuation sheet Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.) Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.) 11. Form Prepared By name/title_ Bruce Clouette, Public Archaeology Survey Team, Inc.
with Betsy Friedberg, NR Director, MHC organization_ Massachusetts Historical Commission _date October 2010 street & number 220 Morrissey Boulevard -telephone 617-727-8470 city or town_ Boston stateMA _zip code 02125 Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: Continuation Sheets Northing Northing A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. A sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Photographs Representative black and white photographs of the property.
Additional items (Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items) Property Owner (Complete this item atthe request of the SHPO or FPO.) name Town of Warren, MA street & number 83 High Street telephone - _ 413-436-5701 city or town- Warren state MA _zip code 01803 Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.).
Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, P.0. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Project (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20503. NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Crossman Bridge Warren, Worcester County, Massachusetts Section number 10 Page 1 10.
GEOGRAPHICAL DATA Verbal Boundary Description: The nominated property includes the bridge and its abutments as defined by the public right-of-way for Gilbert Road. Boundary Justification: The bridge is a discrete structure with significance for engineering history; therefore, it is appropriate to include only the components of the structure itself, the bridge and its abutments, as the nominated property. (end) NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Photographs All Photographs: Crossman Bridge Warren, Worcester County, Massachusetts Peter Stott photos, November 2009, unless otherwise noted OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Crossman Bridge Warren, Worcester County, Massachusetts Captions: 1. North end of bridge, camera facing southeast. 2. East span of bridge, facing southeast. 3.
Detail of northwest end post, commemorative plaque, facing south 4. Detail of north end, facing southeast 5. Detailed view of lattice railing, with rosette, taken during reconstruction, 2008 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Crossman Bridge NAME: MULTIPLE NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Worcester DATE RECEIVED: DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: 11/08/10 12/28/10 REFERENCE NUMBER: 10001065 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 12/13/10 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 12/24/10 REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: OTHER: N PDIL: N PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N N N COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT RETURN ABSTRACT/ SUMMARY COMMENTS: REJECT 12 27MATE Entered in The National Register of Historic Places RECOM.
/CRITERIA REVIEWER DISCIPLINE TELEPHONE DATE DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR Y/N If a nomination is returned to the nominating authority, the nomination is no longer under consideration by the NPS. PHOTO I WARREN (WORCESTER) MA CROSSMAN BRIDGE PETÊR STOTI PHDTO 2009 N END Z BRIDGE, FACING SE MA_WARREN(WORCESTERCO UNTY)- CROSSMANOI, fift PHOTO 2 CROSSMAN BRIDGÉ WARREN (WURCESTER) MA PeTeR SToTT PrOro 2009 E SPAN Z BRIDGE, FACING SE MA_WARREN(WORCESTERCOUNTY)_CROSSMANO2. ti7t NO Bridge Erected 1889 HARREN HISTORICAL COMMISSION PHOTO 3 CROSSMAN BRIDGE WARREN (WORCESTER) MA PeTER SroTT PHoro 2009 DETAIL, COMMEMORATIVE PIAQUE, FACING S MA_WARREN (WORCESTERCOUDTY)_- CROSSMANO3.
tiff PlOTO 4 CROSSMAN BRIDGE WARREN (WORCESTER) MA PETER STOTT PHOTO 2009 DETAIL, N END Z BRIDGE, FACING SE MA_WARREN(WORCESTERCOUNTY)-CROSSMAN OY.fiff PSON PHOTO 5 CROSSMAN BRIDGE WARREN (WORCESTER) MA PETeR 87 2008 PHOTO DETALLED VIEW Z LATTICE RAILING WIRA ROSETTE, TAKEN DURING RECUNSTRUCTIUN MA_WARREN (WORCESTERCOUNTY)_CROSSMANOS.tiff CROSSMAN BRIPGE (GILBERT ROAD BRIDGE) WARREN ACORPORATED WA RRBI AS WESTERA LOSEPH WARIEE SSAC HOSM *88 HISTORICAL COMMISSION WARREN, MASSACHUSETTS 01083 Uk fle RECEIVED APR 14 2006 MASS. HIST. COMM April 13, 2006 Ms Betsy Friedberg Massachusetts Historical Commission 220 Morrissey Boulevard Boston, MA 02125 Dear Ms Friedberg, The Warren Historical Commission supports the nomination of the Gilbert Rd. Bridge in West Warren to the National Register. This bridge represents a distinct style infrequently seen in the state of Massachusetts.
In addition, it displays certain pleasing elements in its design that demonstrate the economic prosperity of its time. Situated in a significant area of the West Warren village's 20*h century industrial growth, facilitating access to the A. W. Crossman & Son Tool Co., the Gilbert Rd. Bridge played a crucial role in the town's history. Our town is fortunate to boast this exceptional example of a historic bridge. Sincerely, Sylno D. Buck Sylvia G. Buck Chair APR-08-2010 09:47 P.02 Neple BOARD OF SELECTMEN CHARLES E. SHEPARD MUNICIPAL BUILDING 48 High, St. - P.O. Box 609 - Warren, MA 01083-0609 - Tel. 413-436-5701 - Fax 413-436-9754 April 15, 2009 RECEIVED APR 08 2010 MASS. HIST.COMM Betsy Friedberg Massachusetts Historic Commission 220 Monrissey Boulevard Boston, MA 02125 Dear Ms.
Friedberg: We are writing in support of the nomination, submitted by the Warren Historical Commission of the Gilbert Road Bridge to the National Register. This historic bridge was put into service in 1888 and was painstakingly restored in 2008 by a company located in Ohio in a project funded and managed by the Massachusetts Highway Department.It is one of only eight such structures remaining in Massachusetts and has been visited and photographed by many bridge aficionados. The Gilbert Road Bridge is a prized historic treasure in Warren and we appreciate your consideration in adding to the National Register. Sincerely, lacand, Pelanetka David Delanski, Chairman 191 TRA Robert W . Souza, Vice Chairm Robert K.
Downing, Clerk Cc: Warren Historical Commission TOTAL P.02 REC 2280 NOV 08 2010 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts NAT.REGI OF HISTORIC PLACES NATIONIL PARK SERVICE William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Massachusetts Historical Commission October 28, 2010 Mr. J. Paul Loether National Register of Historic Places Department of the Interior National Park Service 1201 Eye Street, NW, 8*h floor Washington, DC 20005 Dear Mr. Loether: Enclosed please find the following nomination form: Crossman Bridge, Warren (Worcester), MA The nomination has been voted eligible by the State Review Board and has been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer. The owners of the property were notified of pending State Review Board consideration 30 to 45 days before the meeting and were afforded the opportunity to comment. Two letters of support have been received.
Sincerely, Betry tuedhey Betsy Friedberg National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission enclosure CC: Bruce Clouette, consultant Sylvia Buck, Warren Historical Commission Robert Downing, Warren Board of Selectmen H. William Ramsey, Planning Board Chair Massachusetts DOT 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125 (617) 727-8470 - Fax: (617) 727-5128 www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc
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