Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge N-647.74, Spanning Stony Creek at Milepost 647.74, Pride

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER OH-141. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Spanning Stony Creek at milepost on the NS Columbus Division Pride (southeast of Chillicothe), Franklin Township, Ross County, Ohio The Norfolk Southern bridge over Stony Creek is located at latitude: , longitude: . The coordinates were taken from the northeast corner of the bridge and were obtained in March through Google Earth using the World Geodetic System geographic coordinate system (datum), which is accurate to approximately +/- 3 meters. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Quad: Waverly North, Ohio. The bridge location has no restriction on its release to the public. Date(s) of ca. (stone arch [center]); (stone and brick arch on west Construction: [inlet] side); and (reinforced concrete box extension on east [outlet] side.

No records stating the exact date of construction for the original stone arch were available at the time this documentation was completed. The estimated date of construction of ca. aligns with a newspaper account describing an improvements campaign the Scioto Valley Railway Company undertook in the late that included the replacement of wooden bridges with new iron or stone structures along the company s alignment from Portsmouth to Columbus, Ohio. 1 Architect/Engineer/ The SV built the oldest of the bridge components, a 16 long stone Builder: arch, ca. In the Norfolk & Western Railway added a second arch to the west (inlet) side of the 16 long arch, to allow for double tracking over the crossing.

The N&W constructed the 1 Exchanges, Ross County Register, Portsmouth Daily Times, October 6, NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 2) third component of the current structure, a concrete box culvert east of the ca. arch, in Original Owner/ Occupant and Use: SV, culvert carrying one main line track of railway. Present Owner/ Occupant and Use: NS bridge carrying one main line track of railway.

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER OH-141. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Ohio History Connection, which serves as the State Historic Preservation Office, determined the NS bridge over Stony Creek (Bridge eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in May The structure is significant at the local level under Criteria A and C. The structure is a representative example of a series of brick, stone, and concrete arches erected in the late nineteenth (ca.

and early twentieth century and The SV likely built the oldest component of Bridge a stone arch culvert, while completing improvements to the line in the late The improvements campaign included the replacement of wooden bridges with new iron or stone structures along the company s entire alignment from Portsmouth to Columbus, Ohio.2 Subsequent additions the west expansion of the inlet in with a second masonry arch and the east expansion of the outlet in occurred under the N&W s ownership of the bridge (July In the late nineteenth century, prior to the widespread use of reinforced concrete, railroad companies typically constructed arch bridges and culverts across the United States of stone, a material known for its durability.

Often, stone arch bridges were built in areas where quality stone was readily available, such as in Waverly, Pike County, Ohio, approximately 9 miles south of the bridge site. 3 No sources explicitly state that Waverly stone was used in the construction of Bridge N- but given the bridge s proximity to the source it is a possibility local stone was used. The concrete extensions of the bridge demonstrate typical modifications railroad companies made to stone structures as part of improvements and/or repairs across the nation in the early twentieth century. Of the stone arch bridges constructed in the United States during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth 2 Exchanges, Ross County Register, Portsmouth Daily Times, October 6, 3 Parsons Brinkerhoff.

A Context for Common Historic Bridge Types, Project Task 15. (National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Transportation Research Council, National Research Council, October NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 3) centuries, examples are considered highly significant if they retain their character-defining features, including arch rings with keystones, barrel, spandrel wall, parapet, headwalls, and abutments/wingwalls. 4 The arch of Bridge retains the majority of those character-defining features, though the headwall was modified during the construction of the concrete extension. The original stone arch ring of the ca. arch is partially visible from the outlet (east end) of the structure.

Description: The bridge at Milepost consists of three adjoining culverts built ca. The bridge carries a single mainline track of the NS railroad across Stony Creek in Franklin Township, Ross County. The NS railroad runs northwest to southeast at the site of the bridge, which is situated in a narrow, forested corridor in a rural part of the county. Stony Creek flows west to east at the bridge site and then immediately into the Scioto River to the east. Three Locks Road (County Highway makes a bend to the west approximately mile southwest of Bridge and intersects with Stoney Creek Road (County Highway approximately mile southwest of the bridge.

The bridge measures approximately 64 in length from the face of the inlet headwall (west elevation) to the face of the current outlet headwall (east elevation); the wing walls on the east side of the structure extend an additional 26 -6 east of the outlet wall. The oldest of the bridge components is a 16 long stone arch built by the SV ca. which was designed to carry a single track. In the N&W added a second arch to the west (inlet) side of the 16 long arch, to allow for double tracking over the crossing. The third component of the current structure is a concrete box culvert east of the ca. arch, added in In when N&W completed the addition of the concrete box culvert, the double tracks were shifted to the east.

The second track was removed sometime after returning the alignment to a single track over Bridge The single track lies on a graded slope approximately 4 to 6 above the headwall of the bridge. History: The SV formed February 23, with plans to build a main line between Columbus and Portsmouth, a shipping point on the Ohio River. Construction of the SV railway line began in Columbus in June and the line was extended south to Chillicothe by July The 4 Parsons Brinkerhoff, A Context for Common Historic Bridge Types, NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 4) SV began operating between Chillicothe and Columbus in while the southern portion of the line was under construction.

5 Chillicothe, the present-day county seat of Ross County, was platted in August the same year that Zane s Trace, the earliest road cut through the area, reached the town. 6 The land comprising present-day Ross County was initially a part of Adams County, which was established in July In August Ross County was created. 7 In May Congress named Chillicothe the seat of the territorial government. In early Ohio achieved statehood, and Chillicothe was named the state capital.

The state capitol moved to Zanesville from then returned to Chillicothe briefly before moving to Columbus permanently in Franklin Township was established in eastern Ross County on September 9, and its boundaries were adjusted to their present configuration in 8 Following statehood, agriculture quickly became the center of the regional economy, for the soils of the Scioto River valley were ideal for the cultivation of staple crops such as corn and wheat. Flatboats first traveled down the Scioto River from Chillicothe to New Orleans, Louisiana, in transporting grain, flour, and livestock. Flatboats also traveled north to Circleville, Ohio, and Columbus carrying agricultural products.

The first cattle drive took place in and traveled east from the Scioto Valley over the Allegheny Mountain Range to Baltimore, Maryland. 9 Over the following decades, cattle of the Scioto Valley became highly sought after, and the local cattle industry thrived as a result. Prior to the arrival of rail transit, canal construction was the first large- scale infrastructure project in Ohio. The state s General Assembly passed the first act related to canal construction in The Ohio and Erie Canal, completed traveled through Ross County, and extended through the eastern portion Franklin Township before turning southwest to cross into Pike County. The State Dam across the Scioto 5 Striplin, E.F. Pat. The Norfolk & Western: A History. (Reprint, Norfolk: Norfolk Southern Corporation, 59 60.

6 Ross County Genealogical Society. A Standard History of Ross County, Ohio, Volume I. (Reprint, Baltimore: Gateway Press, Inc., 78. 7 Ross County Genealogical Society, A Standard History of Ross County, Ohio, Volume I, 52. 8 Ross County Genealogical Society. State Centennial History of the County of Ross (Ohio), Volume II. (Reprint, Baltimore: Gateway Press, 9 Ross County Genealogical Society, State Centennial History of the County of Ross (Ohio), Volume II, NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 5) River, designed to provide a water supply to the canal, was constructed south of Chillicothe, approximately 1.4 miles north of Stony Creek. Completed in the dam measured approximately 300 in length.

Three locks were located adjacent to the dam, to feed water from the Scioto River to the canal. 10 Later in the nineteenth century, Three Locks became the name of a nearby railroad stop, and is also the namesake of a road that travels along the river. In the railroads expanded across the state and quickly began posing competition to the existing canal system. After the state s canal system struggled to break even, under both state ownership and a brief period of operation by private lessees in the During the same period, total rail mileage in the state grew from approximately 300 miles in to over miles in In the SV began to extend its line south from Chillicothe. The SV ran parallel to the Ohio and Erie Canal on the east side of Franklin Township.

A railroad station known as both State Dam and Three Locks was located there. Other SV stations in the township in included Stony Creek, the county bridge, and Higby. In Higby was the only station in the township without a station house, though a post office was located in the community. 12 In the SV was completed to Coal Grove, Ohio, slightly east of Portsmouth, providing uninterrupted service between the Ohio River and Columbus. 13 The SV primarily transported agricultural products of the Scioto Valley, and the extension to Coal Grove provided access to iron manufacturing and lumber traffic along the Ohio River.

The SV went into receivership in May and receiver Joseph Robinson continued operating and making improvements along the line until Improvements in the late included the replacement of wooden bridges with iron structures and construction of telegraph lines between twenty-three of the SV s twenty-four stations. 14 Construction of the oldest stone arch culvert component of 10 Ross County Genealogical Society. History of Ross and Highland Counties, Ohio with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches. (Reprint, Interlaken: Heart of the Lakes Publishing, 11 Roseboom, Eugene H. and Francis P. Weisenburger. A History of Ohio.

(Columbus: The Ohio Historical Society, 12 Ross County Genealogical Society, History of Ross and Highland Counties, Ohio with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, 13 Striplin, The Norfolk & Western: A History, 60. 14 Ibid. NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 6) Bridge likely occurred ca. under Robinson s receivership, a period during which stone culverts replaced many older wood structures along the existing line. It is possible that local stone was used to construct the ca. arch; the eastern portion of Ross County, like Pike County to the south, was rich in mineral deposits, including shale, limestone, and sandstone.

In Franklin Township, one local history source reported a great amount of valuable Waverly building stone exposed on the Scioto bank, that extended for at least twenty miles along the Scioto, on both sides. 15 Judiah E. Higby, a wagonmaker and flatboat builder and operator, invested in land in Franklin Township, and opened quarries along the Ohio and Erie Canal. However, no source consulted for this study explicitly states that local stone was used in the construction of the SV arch over Stony Creek. In February the Scioto Valley and New England Railroad (SV&NE) acquired the SV, and, a few months later, in July the N&W acquired the SV&NE. The N&W named Robinson superintendent of the Scioto Division, the name ascribed to the original SV route within the N&W system.

The N&W s origins date to when the City Point Railroad was chartered in Virginia. Over the next forty-four years, the future N&W took shape through over 200 mergers. Those companies were consolidated under the Norfolk & Petersburg Railroad by the Following the Civil War, the N&P merged with two smaller railroads the Southside and the Virginia & Tennessee to form the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad (AM&O). By the AM&O had gone bankrupt, and E. W. Clark & Company, a bank in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, purchased the N&P and renamed it the Frederick J. Kimball, a partner in E. W. Clark & Company, took leadership of the N&W and promptly merged it with the Shenandoah Valley Railroad, which ran between Hagerstown, Maryland, and Roanoke, Virginia.

Kimball, who had an interest in geology, was reportedly the catalyst behind the N&W opening the Pocahontas Coalfields in Virginia and West Virginia, and led the charge to build a rail connection with the SV&NE (the SV s Ohio Extension ) to provide a route to Columbus. 16 The N&W completed its Ohio Extension in providing service to Columbus. In the N&W achieved service to 15 Ross County Genealogical Society. State Centennial History of the County of Ross (Ohio), Volume II, 16 Middleton, William D., George M. Smerk, and Roberta L. Diehl, eds. Encyclopedia of North American Railroads. Indiana University Press: Bloomington, NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 7) Cincinnati through the purchase of the Cincinnati, Portsmouth & Virginia Railroad.

17 In the N&W purchased the Pocahontas Coal and Coke Company, and the number of mines along its route grew to over 140 only a few years later. Between and the amount of coal the N&W shipped increased from to 26 million tons, and the amount of westbound shipments increased dramatically via the Ohio Extension. In Franklin Township, Higby was the N&W s only stop in By a Stony Creek Station and Pride Post Office are noted on USGS topographic maps. By Pride was noted as a stop on the N&W at the approximate location of the Stony Creek Station listed in both situated south of the Locks stop (called Three Locks in other sources) and north of Higby, the southernmost N&W stop in Ross County.

18 The N&W undertook a campaign of improvements in including double tracking through the county, 19 and the name change from Stony Creek Station to Pride may have occurred during that time. The improvements included the expansion of the inlet of Bridge with a second masonry arch to accommodate a second main line track. A school was established in Pride in the early Though diminished in use, a limited amount of commerce continued along the Ohio and Erie Canal until it was abandoned after suffering severe flood damage in 20 As railroad operations reached their zenith both locally and nationwide, roadway improvements, and the construction of highways to facilitate increasing numbers of automobiles, began spreading across the county. By five Inter-County Highways met at Chillicothe.

The route of present-day U.S. Highway 23 was one such route, following the approximate north to south route of the Scioto Trail. U.S. Highway 23 serves as the primary north-south road through the county, running from Portsmouth north to Columbus and on to Toledo, Ohio. U.S. Highways 35 and 50 run northwest to southeast, and east to west, respectively, through Chillicothe. Beginning in the highways began luring both passenger and freight traffic from 17 Ibid. 18 Rand McNally and Company. Rand, McNally & Co. s New Business Atlas Map of Ohio [map]. Chicago; United States Geological Survey. Waverly, Ohio Quadrangle Map 19 Chillicothe Gazette. N&W Will Double Track Higby s to Kingston. January 6, Hard at Work. July 13, and Railroad Notes. October 25, 20 Ohio History Connection.

Chillicothe, Ohio. Ohio History Central. accessed March 19, NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 8) railroads. The third and final expansion of Bridge the construction of the current concrete outlet with wingwalls occurred in While the N&W had historically traversed primarily rural areas of the county, by the mid twentieth century small communities that once were the site of railroad stations, such as Higby, Pride, and Three Locks, no longer served as stops. Though small pockets of residential development are located near Bridge vestiges of the canal and railroad activity of earlier times are limited. The Pride School closed in the late but remained extant until when a fire destroyed it.

21 By the late no towns or established businesses were present in Franklin Township.22 As railroad mergers became increasingly common in the the prospect of a merger between the N&W and Southern Railway arose. In the Interstate Commerce Commission approved the acquisition of the two lines by the newly formed Norfolk Southern Corporation. The NS and Southern continued operating under their historic names until when the N&W became a subsidiary of the Southern. In the system grew again after the NS and CSX purchased and split the Conrail system. As of the NS system totaled over route miles of railway in twenty-two states; Washington, and Ontario, Canada.23 NS continues to operate the former SV alignment through Ross County.

Bridge in its current configuration, has been in continuous operation since In the late-2010s, structural inspectors identified stone failure within the arch culvert, including missing and damaged stones in the arch ring and interior, and across the inlet (west) elevation. Cracking and spalling are present on the concrete components of the structure. Project engineers have advised that most of the 100 year old stone likely would not survive the deconstruction and reconstruction necessary for rehabilitation. To stabilize the stone and brick arch culverts and repair the concrete box extension, the NS proposes installation of a corrugated steel arch liner with a reinforced concrete base that extends the width of the existing bridge, providing support for all three components.

As part of the proposed project, concrete encasements would be constructed at the inlet and outlet 21 Chillicothe Gazette. In Wake of Fire, Students Remember Former School. January 30, 22 Chillicothe Gazette. Franklin Township Not Big On Size But is Big on Family. October 20, 23 Yenne, Bill, Atlas of North American Railroads. (MBI Publishing Company, St. Paul, NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 9) elevations, which measure 159 feet and feet long, respectively. The stabilization efforts proposed would allow the historic components to stay in place, albeit totally enclosed and supported by the steel liner and concrete encasements.

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER OH-141. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Chillicothe Gazette (Chillicothe, Ohio). The Aqueduct Bursted [sic]. February 19, pg. 1. Chillicothe Gazette (Chillicothe, Ohio). N&W Will Double Track Higby s to Kingston. January 6, pg. 1. Chillicothe Gazette (Chillicothe, Ohio). Hard at Work. July 13, pg. 1. Chillicothe Gazette (Chillicothe, Ohio). Railroad Notes. October 25, pg. 6. Chillicothe Gazette (Chillicothe, Ohio). Franklin Township Not Big On Size But is Big on Family. October 20, pg. 10. Chillicothe Gazette (Chillicothe, Ohio). In Wake of Fire, Students Remember Former School. January 30, pg. 2. Middleton, William D., George M. Smerk, and Roberta L. Diehl, eds. Encyclopedia of North American Railroads. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, Ohio History Connection. Chillicothe, Ohio. Ohio History Central.

accessed March 19, Parsons Brinkerhoff. A Context for Common Historic Bridge Types, Project Task 15. National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Transportation Research Council, National Research Council, October Portsmouth Daily Times (Portsmouth, OH). Exchanges, Ross County Register. October 6, pg. 1. Rand, McNally & Co. s New Business Atlas Map of Ohio [map]. Chicago. Reynolds, Kirk and David P. Oroszi. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Osceola, WI: MBI Publishing Company, NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 10) Roseboom, Eugene H. and Francis P. Weisenburger. A History of Ohio. Columbus: The Ohio Historical Society, Ross County Genealogical Society. State Centennial History of the County of Ross (Ohio), Volume II.

(Reprint, Baltimore: Gateway Press, Inc., Ross County Genealogical Society. A Standard History of Ross County, Ohio, Volume I. (Reprint, Baltimore: Gateway Press, Inc., Ross County Genealogical Society. History of Ross and Highland Counties, Ohio with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches. (Reprint, Interlaken: Heart of the Lakes Publishing, Scioto County Genealogical Society. History of the Lower Scioto Valley, Ohio. (Reprint, Evansville: UNIGRAPHIC, Inc., 84. Striplin, E.F. Pat. The Norfolk & Western: A History. Reprint, Norfolk: Norfolk Southern Corporation, United States Census Bureau. Quick Facts: Chillicothe city, Ohio Electronic document, accessed March United States Census Bureau. Quick Facts: Ross County, Ohio Electronic document, accessed March United States Geological Survey.

Waverly quadrangle, Ohio [map] 7.5 Minute Series. Washington, United States Department of the Interior, USGS, Wilson, Jeff and Randy Rehberg, eds. The Historical Guide to North American Railroads. 3 rd ed. Waukesha, WI: Kalmbach Books, Yenne, Bill. Atlas of North American Railroads. St. Paul: MBI Publishing Company, Historian(s): Jessica M. Forbes, architectural historian Engineering, Inc.) completed the HAER report February April NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 11)

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER OH-141. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

NS sponsored the completion of this HAER documentation, which is required to be submitted to the Nebraska District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to satisfy mitigation requirements for adverse effects associated with the repairs of the railroad bridge over Stony Creek, in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of Leslie Schwartz (Leslie Schwartz Photography) completed the large format photographs, and Jessica M. Forbes, architectural historian Engineering, Inc.), prepared the report. Leesa Gratreak, architectural historian Engineering, Inc.), and Nancy Jepsen, technical editor Engineering, Inc.), edited and assisted in formatting the document. NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 12) Supplemental Materials: Location Map Figure 1.

Bridge location.24 24 Figure prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc. using USGS Waverly North Quadrangle Map NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 13) Color Photographs 25 Figure 2. East elevation (outlet/1934 extension), looking west (September 25 Color photographs by HDR Engineering, Inc. NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 14) 26 Figure 3. East elevation (outlet/1934 extension), looking west (September 26 Color photographs by HDR Engineering, Inc. NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 15) Figure 4. Interior view(from background to foreground: arch, ca. arch, and extension), looking west (September 27 27 Color photographs by HDR Engineering, Inc. NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 16) Figure 5. Arch detail (ca.

arch ring partially visible), looking west (September 28 Color photographs by HDR Engineering, Inc. NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 17) Figure 6. Arch detail (ca. arch ring partially visible), looking southwest (September 29 Color photographs by HDR Engineering, Inc. NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 18) Figure 7. arch detail, looking southwest (September 30 30 Color photographs by HDR Engineering, Inc. NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 19) Figure 8. arch detail, looking north (September 31 Color photographs by HDR Engineering, Inc. NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 20) Figure 9. and ca. arch detail from west elevation (inlet), looking northeast (September 32 Color photographs by HDR Engineering, Inc.

NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 21) Figure 10. and ca. arch detail from west elevation (inlet), looking southeast (September 33 33 Color photographs by HDR Engineering, Inc. NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 22) Figure 11. Voids on west elevation arch and concrete header), looking east (September 34 34 Color photographs by HDR Engineering, Inc. NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 23) Figure 12. Detail showing date stamps and on west elevation, looking east (September 35 35 Color photographs by HDR Engineering, Inc. NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 24) Figure 13. Voids on west elevation/1909 retaining wall, looking east (September 36 36 Color photographs by HDR Engineering, Inc.

NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 25) Historic Drawings Figure 14. Plan of Masonry, 37 Plan of Masonry: Stony Creek Arch West of Higby, Ross County, O. Norfolk & Western Railway. Z91 P. July 19, (Source: Norfolk Southern Railway). NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 26) Figure 15. Detail of plan showing extension of Stony Creek arch, 38 38 Plan Showing Extension of 30 Arch, Stony Creek near Higby, Ohio. Norfolk & Western Railway. October 16, (Source: Norfolk Southern Railway). NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 27) Figure 16. Detail of plan showing reinforced concrete box extension, 39 Stony Creek Arch 16 ft. Extension with 28 -6 x 19 0 Rein. Conc. Box Near Locks, O. Norfolk & Western 39 Railway Company.

July 11, (Source: Norfolk Southern Railway). NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 28) Figure 17. Detail of plan for reinforced concrete box extension, Stony Creek Arch 16 ft. Extension with 28 -6 x 19 0 Rein. Conc. Box Near Locks, O. Norfolk & Western 40 Railway Company. July 11, (Source: Norfolk Southern Railway). NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD BRIDGE HAER No. OH-141 (Page 29) Sketch Plan Figure 18. Sketch plan (May Prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc.