05 Jul historically important gustav lindenthal-designed cast iron smithfield street bridge ornamental rosette joins bldg. 51 museum collection
in keeping with the bldg. 51 museum’s latest effort to acquire historically important artifacts from notable buildings and/or structures outside of chicago, a remarkable, oversized 19th century gustav lindenthal-designed smithfield bridge portal rosette or medallion has joined the museum collection – along with photographic images and documents pertaining to the bridge it was removed from. the heavy, single-sided ornament features a very distinctive design with raised buttons, beveled edges and a centrally located petalled flower. the weathered and worn enameled finish has not been altered since the rosette was salvaged from the bridge’s portal during its demolition in 1915, when the bridge was widened to accommodate more traffic.
the smithfield street bridge is a lenticular type truss bridge (i.e., the top and bottom chords are curved) crossing the monongahela river in pittsburgh, pennsylvania, usa. the historically important bridge was designed by gustav lindenthal, a building engineer who later designed the hell gate bridge in new york city in 1912. Construction of the smithfield street bridge began in 1881 and was completed two years later when it opened for traffic beginning in march of 1883. The bridge was later widened in 1889 and again in 1911.
the existing bridge is the third bridge at the site and is considered the second oldest steel bridge in the united states (the east bridge, located in st. Louis, opened in 1874). The first bridge built at the location was a wooden bridge, completed in 1818 by louis wernwag at a cost of $102,000. the bridge was destroyed in pittsburgh’s great fire of 1845. the second bridge on the site was a wire rope suspension bridge built by john a. roebling. bridge traffic and river traffic eventually made the lightly built bridge containing eight short spans inadequate. the extant lindenthal’s bridge was built in its place, using stone masonry piers from roebling’s bridge.
the smithfield street bridge is the penultimate of the many bridges which span the monongahela before the river joins with the allegheny river to form the ohio river at downtown pittsburgh. the bridge also served the pittsburgh railways streetcar system with lines coming from the mt. washington transit tunnel and from carson street crossing the bridge and continuing into downtown along grant street and smithfield street, returning to the bridge via wood street or grant street. the streetcar line was abandoned in july 1985, when streetcars were diverted to the panhandle bridge. the last day of streetcar service on downtown pittsburgh streets (and over the smithfield street bridge) was july 6, 1985. the former streetcar right-of-way was converted into a paved roadway for northbound traffic.
between 1994–1995 the bridge was rehabilitated with a new deck, a colorful paint scheme, and updated architectural lighting. the abandoned rail lines were converted into an extra traffic lane.
