Virginia Street Bridge, Spanning Truckee River at Virginia Street, Reno

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER NV-14. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Spanning the Truckee River at Virginia Street, downtown Reno, Washoe County, Nevada USGS Reno Quadrangle, Universal Transverse Mercator coordinates: 11 Construction Date: Engineers: John B. Leonard, San Francisco, CA Builder: Cotton Brothers & Company, Oakland, CA with T. K. Stewart, Reno, NV

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER NV-14. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Virginia Street Bridge, built in is the oldest functioning bridge in Reno and was the first reinforced concrete bridge in the State of Nevada. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under criteria A and C. This Virginia Street Bridge was built by the Cotton Brothers and Company of Oakland, CA, und~r the direction of T. K. Stewart, of Reno, as Engineer in Charge. The bridge was designed by John B. Leonard of San Francisco, CA, one of the most important early century bridge engineers in California. The Virginia Street Bridge provides a continuous north-south roadway through downtown Reno on Virginia Street (US.

Highway 395 Business) following one of the earliest transportation routes through the Truckee Meadows leading to Virginia City and the Comstock Lode, Carson City, and California. A bridge has stood at this location since The two span reinforced concrete filled spandrel arch bridge of today, one of two in the State, replaced the iron bridge in when the growth of Reno necessitated a larger bridge. Prepared By: Katharine R. Boyne and Ana B. Koval Rainshadow Associates P. 0. Box Carson City, NV Date: August VIRGINIA STREET BRIDGE HAER No. Page 2 Summary The Virginia Street Bridge, built in is the oldest functioning bridge in Reno, and one of the oldest in the State of Nevada,2 and the oldest reinforced concrete bridge in Nevada.

It was the first bridge commission awarded John Buck Leonard, one of the most important early century bridge engineers in California. This progressive bridge was built only sixteen years after the construction of the first reinforced concrete bridge in the United States.3 The present structure is the fifth major bridge at this site. There have been bridges across the Truckee River at this point since long before the City of Reno was founded. The present structure has been a key element in the transportation network of Reno for over eighty-five years.

Because of the Virginia Street Bridge's historical and technical values, the Virginia Street Bridge has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since December 10, Construction In the growth of Reno necessitated a larger, stronger bridge across the Truckee River at Virginia Street. On June 5, the design of John Buck Leonard of San Francisco was chosen by Washoe County. On July 12, Cotton Brothers & Company of Oakland, California were awarded the contract with their bid of The Virginia Street Bridge is a two span, filled spandel arch bridge across the Truckee River. The 146-foot-long and 83-foot wide bridge was built of reinforced concrete scribed to look like masonry.

The traditional characteristics of masonry construction are suggested by the inclusion of pilasters and the indications of voussoirs on the arches of ,the bridge. Above the arches the bridge is a concrete shell, earth filled to the roadway and sidewalk level. The handsome concrete arch bridge was both a practical addition to Reno and a point of civic pride. It was a focal point of Reno in as the majority of traffic crossed the bridge daily. Leonard was proud of his design and gave the following statement to the Nevada State Journal. The bridge according to the plans will be the handsomest bridge in the West, both from an architectural and structural point of view.

By reinforced concrete we mean a bridge built of concrete and steel, in which all the desirable elements of the concrete are utilized and its weaker elements are overcome by the introduction of steel members. It possesses the advantage of being a progressive structure in that it l"Bridge Opens in the Morning." Reno Evening Gazette. November 14, p. 2Abbe, Sally Still. "Virginia Street Bridge National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form." August 3, and Knight, Kenneth C. and T. H. Turner. An Inventory of Nevada's Historic Bridges. Carson City, NV: Nevada Department of Transportation. pp. 3Engineer Ernest Ransome designed the Alvord Lake Bridge in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco in VIRGINIA STREET BRIDGE HAER No. Page 3 improves with age.

When the bridge is accepted by the commission it will be in a poorer condition that it will ever be again. One year from the date of its acceptance it will have greatly improved, five years will have seen a further improvement and the increment of strength will continue for a period of years ... The people of Reno will have good reason to be proud of the Virginia Street bridge when it is completed. It will without question be one of the best and most sightly bridges in the West.4 The roadbed carried extensive traffic as Virginia Street is the main street of Reno. Sidewalks run along both sides of the roadbed. The railing includes concrete posts which top the pilasters of the main bridge structure.

These posts are connected by low concrete sides and decorative ironwork, and are topped by light posts. The six ornate iron light posts with four globe lights each decorate the bridge at its ends and center.5 The ironwork and lights were put in place two weeks after the bridge was opened to traffic. 6 On the center post east side of the bridge is a bronze plaque with the following information: Virginia Street Bridge. Authorized by act of legislature approved March 15, T. K. Stewart, Engineer in Charge. Designer, John B. Leonard, San Francisco, California. Contractor, Cotton Bros. and Co., Oakland, California.

Construction commenced, July 17, Opened for traffic, November 12, Prior to, during, and after th,e construction of the Virginia Street Bridge, retaining walls were erected to halt the Truckee River's undermining of the properties along its banks. During November and December the Reno Transit Company laid tracks across the newly constructed Virginia Street Bridge. In January the streetcar line was sold becoming the Reno Traction Company. The Reno Traction Company extended the South Virginia Street Branch to California Street then to Plumas Street for connection with the Interurban line running cars to Moana Hot Springs south of Reno.

The streetcars crossed the Virginia Street Bridge until when the company suspended service on that route.7 4Nevada State Journal, June 6, 5"Beauty of Scene on Truckee River to Be Improved by Handsome New Bridge." Nevada State Journal. October 3, p and Knight. p 6"Bridge Opens in the Morning." Reno Evening Gazette. November 14, p 4:4 and "Tracks to Go Across River." Reno Evening Gazette. November 6, p and "Electric Road to Cross Bridge." Reno Evening Gazette. November 29, p 7Myrick, David F. Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California. Volume II Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press. pp. VIRGINIA STREET BRIDGE HAER No. Page 4 Virginia Street Bridge, designed as a vehicular and pedestrian bridge, has also been used for parking.

After the removal of the streetcar tracks, parking was permitted on the bridge. At that time the bridge was considered a two lane bridge and parking was permitted at an angle. In the first repair work on the Virginia Street Bridge was done as a result of the increase of automobile traffic, the passage of time, and water damage to the bridge.8 During the last two decades parallel parking and four lanes of traffic have occupied the Virginia Street Bridge. In the curbing along the northwest approach was realigned.9 Engineer & Contractor John B. Leonard was one of the most important early century bridge engineers in California successfully advocating for the use of reinforced concrete in bridges and buildings.

Leonard was born to Joseph and Martha (Hayes) Leonard in Union City, Michigan and was educated in engineering at Michigan State, Illinois University, and the University of Michigan. Lured by southern California's real estate boom, he moved to San Diego in and north to San Francisco in For the next 15 years, he worked for several engineering firms including the American Bridge and Building Company, the Bay City Iron Works, and Healy, Tibbets and Company as well as briefly opening his own business in concrete and artificial stone contracting. Finally, in he opened his own office as a consulting engineer. One of his first contracts was working for the San Francisco Construction Company on the Truckee- Carson Irrigation Project in Hazen, Nevada.

That job helped him win his first reinforced concrete bridge project - the Virginia Street Bridge in Reno. Also in he began a seven year stint as Associate Editor for Reinforced Concrete at the newly formed publication Architect and Engineer of California . ... Leonard was beginning to achieve success at a time when reinforced concrete construction was not widely accepted. Many building codes in the west still did not allow the use of reinforced concrete construction. Leonard became an advocate for the use of reinforced concrete especially in the City of San Francisco. He used his forum in the Architect and Engineer of California to work toward this end.

He argued that the higher initial cost of concrete bridges was outweighed by the reduced maintenance and increased useful life over steel bridges. Leonard's success came quickly, he designed three more bridges in the San Joaquin River Bridge at Pollasky, near Fresno; the Dry Creek Bridge at Modesto; and the Stanislaus River Bridge at Ripon. The bridge at Pollasky was the longest reinforced concrete bridge in the United States at that time. Leonard also was testing the technology in reinforced concrete in buildings. Also in he designed the structure of the Temple Auditorium in Los Angeles for architect Charles Whittlesey including using reinfor.ced concrete cantilevers to carry the enormous 8"Virginia Street Bridge Soon to Be Repaired." Nevada State Journal. July 13, p. 9survey Drawing.

City of Reno, Department of Public Works. May 25, VIRGINIA STREET BRIDGE HAER No. Page 5 balcony and reinforced concrete trusses with a clear span of 110 feet to carry the roof. After the San Francisco Earthquake of Leonard gained more stature both within and outside the profession by heading a large study of earthquake damage which highlighted the superior nature of reinforced concrete over brick buildings. He gained national attention for his writings on reinforced concrete and building codes. One of the results was a change in the San Francisco Building Codes to include reinforced concrete structures.

Over the next almost 30 years of his professional life, Leonard furthered the design excellence of reinforced concrete usage in both bridges and buildings; designed at least 47 bridges in California and Nevada and many buildings; lobbied for better inspection and building codes for reinforced concrete; studied concrete usage for highway construction; and served as Superintendent for Building Inspection for San Francisco from until his retirement in Even after his retirement, he remained an advocate for code and inspection improvements. One of Leonard's bridges, the Fernbridge which crosses the Eel River south of Eureka, California has been designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers. In Leonard and junior partner W. P.

Day published The Concrete Bridge. The book stressed qualities which served to make a reinforced concrete bridge desirable. Aesthetically it offered "conformity with environment ... pleasing outline and appropriate use of ornament." Beautiful bridges, Leonard write, "are a sure indication of a progressive communicy." The book also stressed the use of California products, available through an expanding California cement and aggregates industry. Profusely illustrated with photographs of Leonard's bridges in the tradition of a builder's catalog, the book represents a unique step for a consulting engineer and underscores Leonard's drive and salesmanship.to The Virginia Street Bridge in Reno was an important first bridge contract in the career of John B. Leonard.

Cotton Brothers & Company were Oakland, California based contractors working in steel framed and reinforced concrete construction. Partners Ernest J. Cotton, Charles E. Cotton, and J. B. Agassiz formed the firm in Charles Cotton was a personal friend of John Leonard and the firms worked together on projects beside the Virginia Street Bridge. The firm was dissolved in with the death of Earnest Cotton. tosnyder, John W. "Buildings and Bridges for the Century. California History. Fall pp. VIRGINIA STREET BRIDGE HAER No. Page 6 Prior Bridges at this Location The first bridge, a crude log toll bridge, was built by C. W. Fuller in along with a primitive half-log, half-dugout structure situated at its south approach.11 The second owner of this location was Myron Charles Lake.

Lake, born in New York State in arrived in California in or after serving with the 5th Illinois Volunteer Infantry regiment in the Mexican War. He settled in Honey Lake about In Fuller and Lake exchanged the river crossing for Lake's ranch near Honey Lake.12 The log bridge was washed away in the December 1861-January flood.

Myron Lake rebuilt and improved the bridge to what was probably the log queen-truss structure seen in the early drawing.13 Lake also rebuilt Fuller's structure into a comfortable tollhouse, hotel and trading post and named his property Lake's Crossing.14 Lake's bridge was damaged by high water in the bridge was rebuilt and served well until The Central Pacific Railroad was constructed through the Truckee Meadows in The search for a depot location was settled when Myron C.

Lake deeded one hundred-sixty acres to Charles Crocker, agent for the Central Pacific Railroad, in consideration of his causing a station to be established there as well as each alternate lot deeded back to Lake, once a survey was made.16 On May 9, an auction of town lots was held.17 The town, which had been known as "End of Track", was renamed "Reno" by the railroad in memory of Jesse Lee Reno, a Union General killed at the battle of South Mountain on September 14, With the coming of the railroad, Reno flourished. Reno became the closest station to the mines of Virginia City and the agricultural valleys of western Nevada . . Myron Lake's Lake House was located south of Reno across the Truckee River on the road to Virginia City. Soon Lake's toll bridge teemed with traffic.

The county, responding to public protest over the toll collection, attempted to take over the bridge. In after a lengthy court battle, Washoe County Commissioners declared the bridge at Lake's Crossing a free bridge.19 The Lake's Crossing Bridge became known as the Virginia Street Bridge due to its location on the road to Virginia City. Its long service having rendered it structurally unsound, a proposal for constructing 1lcoodwin, Victor. Water and Related Land Resources, Central Lahonton Basin: Flood Chronology of Truckee River Sub-Basin United States Department of Agriculture, National Forest Service. unnumbered p. 3. 12Townley, John M. Tough Little Town on the Truckee: Reno Reno, NV: Great Basin Studies Center. p. 53. 13Goodwin. unnumbered p. 3. 14Prouty, Annie Estelle.

"The Development of Reno in Relation to Its Topography." Nevada State Historical Society Papers Reno, NV: Nevada Historical Society. p. 64. 15 Angel, Myron, ed. Reproduction of Thompson and West's History of Nevada Berkele}'., CA: Howell and North. p. 16Townley. p. 67. 17Ibid. p. 65. 18Prouty. p. 98. 19Townley. pp. VIRGINIA STREET BRIDGE HAER No. Page 7 a new one was offered in Lake's Bridge served until when King and Wheelock of Des Moines, Iowa, erected an iron bowstring arch truss bridge at the cost of The iron bridge carried Virginia Street's traffic for 28 years. In Reno was selected the county seat for Washoe County by popular vote.

Myron Lake offered one acre of ground on the south side of the Truckee River and to the County for use as the site of the courthouse.21 Lake's gamble paid off in that the site was selected and the first Washoe County Courthouse in Reno was completed on the site south of Lake House on the south bank of the Truckee River. Lake subdivided his property south of Lake House in guaranteeing the growth on the south side of the River. Current Status The approaches to the Virginia Street Bridge are lined with important structures to the City of Reno.

To the southeast are the United States Post Office and the Pioneer Auditorium To the southwest are the Riverside Hotel which was the site of Myron Lake's hotel, the Lake House and the Washoe County Courthouse On the northwest is the Masonic Temple which is on the site of the previous Masonic Temple destroyed by fire. On the northeast corner stands the Mapes Hotel All the buildings listed above except the two built in the are currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Virginia Street Bridge remains in the heart of Reno today. The bridge is still the major artery for downtown traffic. Virginia Street is as important a crossing today as it was in Myron Lake's time, as it is one of the five streets which traverse downtown Reno from north to south.

The Virginia Street Bridge is an outstanding visual feature of downtown Reno. A series of riverside walks and parks connect the various downtown bridges for the pedestrian. These areas enhance the vitality and beauty of the bridge, making a visually and esthetically pleasing addition to the downtown area. 20Ibid. p. 85 21Hummel, N. A., comp. General History and Resources of Washoe County, Nevada. Reprint. Reno, NV: Sagebrush Press. p. 34. VIRGINIA STREET BRIDGE HAER No. Page 8

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER NV-14. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Abbe, Sally Still. "Virginia Street Bridge National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form." August 30, Angel, Myron, editor. History of Nevada .. San Francisco: Thompson & West, "Beauty of Scene on Truckee River to Be Improved by Handsome New Bridge." Nevada State Journal. October 3, page "Bridge Opens in the Morning." Reno Evening Gazette. November 14, page "Cement Work is Finished." Reno Evening Gazette. October 30, page Comer, Robert. "Bridge Over Truckee Waters." Nevada State Journal. August 2, pages El and E3. "Design of Reinforced Concrete Bridge." John. B. Leonard, Consulting Engineer, San Francisco, CA. no date. (two drawings) "Electric Road to Cross Bridge." Reno Evening Gazette. November 29, page Goodwin, Victor.

Water and Related Land Resources, Central Lahonton Basin: Flood Chronology of Truckee River Sub-Basin United States Department of Agriculture, National Forest Service. Hummel, N. A. General Hiftory and Resources of Washoe County, Nevada Reprint. Verdi, NV: Sagebrush Press, Knight, Kenneth C. and T. H. Turner. An Inventory of Nevada's Historic Bridges. Carson City, NV: Nevada Department of Transportation. pages "Lights for New Bridge." Nevada State Journal. October 24, page McMullin, Nancy. "Reno's Virginia Street -Bridge: Its Historic and Engineering Significance." Washoe Rambler. Volume 5, Number 2. Summer Myrick, David F. Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California. Volume Il. Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press. Nevada State Journal, June 6, Nylen, Robert A.

"Virginia Street Bridge NAER Inventory Card." March "Pleased With New Bridge." Nevada State Journal. October 14, page VIRGINIA STREET BRIDGE HAER No. Page 9 Poulton, Helen, J. Index to History of Nevada, Thompson and West. Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press, Prouty, Annie Estelle. "The Development of Reno in Relation to Its Topography." Nevada State Historical Society Papers Reno, NV: Nevada Historical Society. "Railings for New Bridge." Reno Evening Gazette. December 2, page 1:4 Snyder, John W. "Buildings and Bridges for the Century." California History. Fall pp. Survey Drawing. City of Reno, Department of Public Works. May 25, Townley, John M. Tough Little Town on the Truckee: Reno Reno, NV: Great Basin Studies Center. "Tracks to Go Across River." Reno Evening Gazette.

November 6, page "Veteran Civil Engineer of Nevada Passes Away Suddenly." Nevada State Journal. July 13, page "Virginia St. Bridge Soon to Be Repaired." Nevada State Journal. September 29, page White, William G., Richard Bernstein and Ronald James, eds. Nevada Comprehensive Preservation Plan. Carson City, Nevada: Nevada .Division of Historic Preservation ,and Archeology. Second Edition