The Darlington's Bridge at Delaware Station was a highway bridge over the
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...
in the community of
Delaware, New Jersey (known locally as Delaware Station). Formerly a railroad bridge constructed by the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (also known as the DL&W or Lackawanna Railroad) was a U.S. Class 1 railroad that connected Buffalo, New York, and Hoboken, New Jersey (and by ferry with New York City), a distance of . Incorporated in ...
in 1871 to replace an earlier 1855 timber span, the bridge was sold off when the new one upstream was constructed. Henry V. Darlington, an
Episcopal
Episcopal may refer to:
*Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church
*Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese
*Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name
** Episcopal Church (United State ...
minister in Delaware and nearby
Belvidere offered to buy the second-hand bridge for $5,000 (1914 USD, equal to $ today). Darlington converted it into a highway bridge, using two fired members of the nearby Meyer's Ferry to be toll collectors. The bridge prospered, becoming a part of State Highway Route 6 in 1927 and
U.S. Route 46 in 1936. In 1932, during the massive state takeover of bridges by the
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) is a bistate, public agency that maintains and operates river crossings connecting the U.S. states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The agency's jurisdiction stretches roughly along the Dela ...
, Darlington refused offers, bargaining his way up to $275,000 (1932 USD, equal to $ today) before accepting the sale. This amount was a far cry from the nearby
Belvidere-Riverton and
Portland-Columbia Covered Bridge, which were accepted for $60,000 (equal to $ today) and $50,000 (equal to $ today) respectively. On that moment, tolls along the bridge and Route 6 were eliminated. The bridge prospered toll-free for another 21 years, until the construction of the
Portland-Columbia Toll Bridge upstream at Columbia. Darlington was still alive to see all this transpire. The Commission ceased operations on the Darlington Bridge on April 3, 1954, and the bridge was immediately demolished.
History
Railroad bridge
As expansion of the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (also known as the DL&W or Lackawanna Railroad) was a U.S. Class 1 railroad that connected Buffalo, New York, and Hoboken, New Jersey (and by ferry with New York City), a distance of . Incorporated in ...
(DL&W) continued westward from
Hoboken
Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,69 ...
, the railroad company saw the need to build a new bridge over the Delaware River. Reaching the community of
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
(named after the river nearby), DL&W built a train station previously in the community, denoted as
Delaware Station. The new wood bridge was constructed on the railroad mainline during 1855. The structure lasted a short time, until DL&W replaced the wooden crossing for a new long iron bridge. The new bridge had two tracks to cross the river, serving the local area with coal cars and boxcars crossing. The new bridge survived the floods in 1903 that destroyed many bridges (including the nearby
Riverton-Belvidere Bridge) along the Delaware and continued to prosper.
However, as trains, cars and locomotives began to get heavier and larger, the DL&W needed to build a new bridge across the river to support the heavier weights. In 1902, they built the new bridge just upstream for the reason that it would not have to move much track for better service. As soon as the new bridge was finished, DL&W put the former one up for sale. Demand for second-hand bridges were not high at the time, and when Henry V.B. Darlington, a local
Episcopal
Episcopal may refer to:
*Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church
*Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese
*Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name
** Episcopal Church (United State ...
minister, put up an offer of $5,000 (1902
USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
) for the bridge, DL&W immediately took the money. The railroad did not check on the background of Reverend Darlington or asked what he wanted to do with the iron structure. His money was "as good as anybody's", according to DL&W.
Henry Darlington's ownership
![NJ 5 1920s bridge stamp](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/NJ_5_1920s_bridge_stamp.jpg)
After Darlington bought the railroad bridge from the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad he took out the tracks, replacing them with a paved roadway. Darlington knew the automobile was becoming a big entity in the 1910s and 1920s, turning the bridge into a vehicular bridge was an important decision to make the most out of the crossing. He also figured that the bridge would make a good approach for drivers coming to visit the local natural attractions, such as the
Delaware Water Gap
Delaware Water Gap is a water gap on the border of the U.S. states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania where the Delaware River cuts through a large ridge of the Appalachian Mountains.
The gap makes up the southern portion of the Delaware Water Gap N ...
and the
Pocono Mountains
The Pocono Mountains, commonly referred to as the Poconos , are a geographical, geological, and cultural region in Northeastern Pennsylvania. They overlook the Delaware River and Delaware Water Gap to the east, Lake Wallenpaupack to the north, W ...
. Darlington created new roadway approaches (Lackawanna Road and Ferry Lane) to the bridge and even two buildings on the
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
side of the span. One building was for toll collecting while the other was for living quarters. These quarters were soon occupied by Edward McCracken and his wife. McCracken and his wife had come from the Meyer's Ferry, a local ferry service running at that point on the Delaware since the early 18th century. McCracken had been the local ferry operator, but when a large accident occurred during a dinner break killed four passengers, the owner put the ferry under his control and later fired McCracken. Klein later sold the ferry, which Darlington bought and shut down. He immediately hired the McCrackens to work as the toll collectors.
![NJ 163 in Delaware](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/NJ_163_in_Delaware.JPG)
In the meantime, the only other bridge across the Delaware River easily accessible for vehicular use was the covered bridge in
Columbia, New Jersey
Columbia is an Local government in New Jersey#Unincorporated communities, unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Knowlton Township, New Jersey, Knowlton Township in Warren County, New Jersey, Warren County, Ne ...
and
Portland, Pennsylvania
Portland is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. The population of Portland was 494 at the 2020 census. Portland is part of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area, which had a population of 861,899 and was thus the 68th most populous metrop ...
. Drivers heading along the local roads (later designated as
State Highway Route 5), often came to Darlington's Bridge first. The McCrackens collected tolls in large bushel baskets, which were often filled to the brim of
quarters and
half-dollars. Locals said that the McCrackens were sometimes spotted dropping these coins off the bridge and into the river below, although swimmers were never able to find anything of value to support the myth. Even though the bridge made a large sum of a money and the tollhouse was often filled with money, the place was never robbed. Two
Airedale
Airedale is a geographic area in Yorkshire, England, corresponding to the river valley or dale of the River Aire.
The valley stretches from the river's origin in Aire Head Springs, Malham which is in the Yorkshire Dales, down past Skipton on ...
s the McCrackens kept in the tollhouse, named Duke and Totsey, helped keep the place clear from thieves.
In the time of the bridge prospering, Reverend Darlington was wed to Dorothy Stone Smith at the Trinity Chapel in
Newark
Newark most commonly refers to:
* Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States
* Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area
Newark may also refer to:
Places Canada
* Niagara-on-the ...
. The wedding, which occurred in November 1920, made the local news and the ceremony was performed by Darlington's father.
Two years later, the Darlingtons made the news again, this time with the birth of their first child (a son) in
Orange, New Jersey
The City of Orange is a township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 30,134, reflecting a decline of 2,734 (−8.3%) from the 32,868 counted in 2000.
Orange was original ...
at
Orange Memorial Hospital
The City of Orange is a township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 30,134, reflecting a decline of 2,734 (−8.3%) from the 32,868 counted in 2000.
Orange was originally ...
.
Buyout and dismantling
The bridge continued to prosper through the 1920s and 1930s with a toll of one quarter to cross the bridge, with drivers of
State Highway Route 6 coming along the bridge from the junction with
State Highway Route 8 coming across the bridge since 1927. During the 1920s and 1930s, the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania began to buy out bridges along the Delaware River under the Joint Commission for the Elimination of Toll Bridges. The reconstructed bridge at
Belvidere was bought by the commission for $60,000 (1920s USD) and the covered bridge at Columbia for only $50,000. Although the commission tried to buy the second-hand railroad bridge for a lower, unspecified amount, Darlington refused, raising the amount to $275,000. Once the bridge was brought, tolls were eliminated.
Although the bridge remained in service for another 21 years as a free crossing, the
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) is a bistate, public agency that maintains and operates river crossings connecting the U.S. states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The agency's jurisdiction stretches roughly along the Dela ...
constructed a brand new bridge at the Portland-Columbia. The new toll bridge was constructed in 1953 for $4 million (1953 USD, equal to $43,312,209.74 today), but the toll was only ten dollars (equal to $108.28 today), like the former price of the Darlington's Bridge. Darlington, who had retired from his job in Orange in 1950,
was alive and was in disbelief. The next April, the Toll Bridge Commission went ahead and dismantled the Darlington's bridge, which was fought by several legal actions. The bridge ceased operations on April 3, 1954, being demolished soon after. The covered bridge at Columbia was destroyed during
Hurricane Diane
Hurricane Diane was the first Atlantic hurricane to cause more than an estimated $1 billion in damage (in 1955 dollars, which would be $ today), including direct costs and the loss of business and personal revenue. It formed on August ...
the next August.
Just before the demolishing of Darlington's Bridge, the approach on the New Jersey side had been renumbered to
State Highway Route 163,
which remains in condition from when the bridge was in use.
See also
*
List of crossings of the Delaware River
This is a list of bridges and other crossings of the Delaware River from the Atlantic Ocean upstream to its source(s).
Crossings
See also
* George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River
*
*
*
*
*
References
External links
{{De ...
References
External links
New Jersey Highway Ends - 163
{{DEFAULTSORT:Darlington's Bridge At Delaware Station
Bridges over the Delaware River
Bridges in Monroe County, Pennsylvania
Road bridges in New Jersey
Railroad bridges in New Jersey
Road bridges in Pennsylvania
Railroad bridges in Pennsylvania
U.S. Route 46
Former toll bridges in New Jersey
Former toll bridges in Pennsylvania
Interstate vehicle bridges in the United States
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad bridges