Kellams Bridge

The Kellmans Bridge is a small scale suspension bridge that was built in 1889. However, the bridge was almost entirely rebuilt in 1936, so this is a more accurate construction date for the current structure. The bridge has an unusual design, where the suspension cables dip below the deck of the bridge. It is the only remaining bridge of this design in the country.

This bridge was originally built as a private bridge. On April 30, 1888, ten prominent citizens from northeastern Wayne County met to form the Little Equinunk Bridge Company. They sold shares in the bridge to fund the construction, and by mid-July they established a building and construction committee. Soon after, the construction contract was awarded to David Kellman. Unfortunately, very little is known about Kellman or his qualifications to build a suspension bridge. The original bridge was a one-lane wire-suspension bridge. The deck was stiffened by wooden Howe trusses and was suspended from two cables supported by obelisk-shaped wooden towers. A toll collectors house was constructed on the Pennsylvania side.

By the 1920’s, there were many privately owned toll bridges across the Delaware, and the local residence were tired of paying the tolls. A joint bridge commission was formed between the states bordering the Delaware, and all the bridges on the New York-Pennsylvania section of the river were purchased and made toll-free. However, the Kellmans Bridge was excluded from this deal, and it remained a toll bridge until 1932.

In 1936, the Joint Bridge Commission made extensive repairs to the Kellmans Bridge, and it can be argued that the bridge was actually reconstructed. New cables were added, the wooden towers, deck, and stiffening truss were replaced with steel elements, and the New York abutment was repaired. The Pennsylvania abutment is still the original masonry abutment from 1889. Additional repairs were made in 1969, 1975, and 1986, although the exact details are not clear. This bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 in Pennsylvania, but New York has declared the bridge ineligible because the alterations to the bridge have compromised its integrity from the original date of construction.

The bridge was damaged by a flood in 2006, when debris damaged the floor beams and the cable attachments. The bridge was closed and repaired. These repairs included removing the paint, remnants of existing welds and existing gusset plates. The members were jacket back into the correct location, holes were drilled, and a new bolted connection was constructed.

The bridge was closed again in 2018 for a rehabilitation project. This project included replacing the bridge’s deck steel and support beams, painting, and other minor repairs.