London Bridge is a bridge in
Lake Havasu City, Arizona
Lake Havasu City (, ) is a city in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 57,144, up from 52,527 in 2010. It is served by Lake Havasu City Airport.
History
The community first started as an ...
. When it was built in the 1830s, it spanned the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, England. In 1968, the bridge was purchased from the
City of London
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...
by
Robert P. McCulloch
Robert Paxton McCulloch (May 11, 1911 – February 25, 1977) was an American entrepreneur from Missouri, best known for McCulloch chainsaws and purchasing the "New" London Bridge (Lake Havasu City), London Bridge, which he moved to Lake Havasu Ci ...
. McCulloch had exterior granite blocks from the original bridge cut and transported to the United States for use in the construction of a new bridge in Lake Havasu City, a planned community he established in 1964 on the shore of
Lake Havasu
Lake Havasu () is a large reservoir formed by Parker Dam on the Colorado River, on the border between San Bernardino County, California and Mohave County, Arizona, Arizona. Lake Havasu City sits on the Arizona (eastern) side of the lake with it ...
. The Arizona bridge is a
reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having hig ...
structure clad in the original masonry of the 1830s bridge. The bridge was completed in 1971 (along with a canal), and links an island in the
Colorado River
The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid drainage basin, watershed that encompasses parts of ...
with the main part of Lake Havasu City. The "rededication" of the London Bridge took place on October 10, 1971.
History
![London Bridge, Havasu Lake - NARA - 548924 - Crop and retouch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/London_Bridge%2C_Havasu_Lake_-_NARA_-_548924_-_Crop_and_retouch.jpg)
The
1831 London Bridge was the last project of engineer
John Rennie and completed by
his son, John Rennie.
[
] By 1962, it was not sturdy enough to carry the increased load of traffic; the bridge was sold by the
City of London
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...
in April 1968 to make way for its replacement.
The purchaser,
Robert P. McCulloch
Robert Paxton McCulloch (May 11, 1911 – February 25, 1977) was an American entrepreneur from Missouri, best known for McCulloch chainsaws and purchasing the "New" London Bridge (Lake Havasu City), London Bridge, which he moved to Lake Havasu Ci ...
, was an entrepreneur and real estate developer who founded
Lake Havasu City
Lake Havasu City (, ) is a city in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 57,144, up from 52,527 in 2010. It is served by Lake Havasu City Airport.
History
The community first started as an ...
. He installed the bridge to attract tourists and retirement home buyers to his properties there.
Purchase and transfer to Arizona
The community first started as an Army Air Corps rest camp, called "Site Six" during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
on the shores of
Lake Havasu
Lake Havasu () is a large reservoir formed by Parker Dam on the Colorado River, on the border between San Bernardino County, California and Mohave County, Arizona, Arizona. Lake Havasu City sits on the Arizona (eastern) side of the lake with it ...
. In 1958 McCulloch purchased of property on the east side of the lake along Pittsburgh Point, the peninsula, intending to develop the land. But the real estate agents could not bring in prospective buyers, because the land was far from centers of population and had a very hot, arid climate. McCulloch's real estate agent, Robert Plumer, learned that London Bridge was for sale and convinced McCulloch to buy it and bring it to the area to attract potential land buyers. The initial response from McCulloch was, "That's the craziest idea I have ever heard," but after consideration, he decided to go ahead and purchased it for £1.02 million ($2.46 million at that time).
There is a popular rumor that the bridge was bought in the mistaken belief that it was London's more recognizable
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a Listed building#Grade I, Grade I listed combined Bascule bridge, bascule and Suspended-deck suspension bridge, suspension bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones (architect), Horace Jones and e ...
,
[
][
][
] but the allegation was vehemently denied by both McCulloch and Ivan Luckin, who arranged the bridge's sale.
[
]
The bridge's facing stones were removed, with each numbered and its position catalogued. After the bridge was dismantled, the stones were transported to a quarry in
Merrivale, Devon
Merrivale (formerly also Merivale) is a locality in western Dartmoor, in the West Devon district of Devon, England. It is best known for the nearby series of Bronze Age megalithic monuments to the south and a former granite quarry.
Merrivale h ...
, where were sliced off many of the original stones.
Plumer arranged with a cargo shipping company that was going to sail a newly built ship, without any cargo, from the
U.K.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
to the
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
Plumer negotiated to pay for all the voyage's operating costs, in return for carrying the bridge stones as cargo to the U.S., which was far less than the going rate shipping costs.
The new ship transported the bridge in pieces through the Panama Canal and unloaded it at the Port of Long Beach, California. From there, the bridge was transported overland to Lake Havasu City, where re-assembly began in 1968.
[
]
Reconstruction in Lake Havasu
![London Bridge Lake Havasu, aerial view 1973, Film0 A 6-11-b](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/London_Bridge_Lake_Havasu%2C_aerial_view_1973%2C_Film0_A_6-11-b.jpg)
On September 23, 1968, the bridge's foundation stone was re-laid at the reconstruction site in Arizona, by Sir
Gilbert Inglefield,
Lord Mayor of London
The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional powe ...
.
[
A new concrete interior structure was clad in the original stonework.][ The reconstruction took slightly over three years and was completed in late 1971 by Sundt Construction.][
]
The bridge was not rebuilt over a river, but was put up on land between the main part of the city and Pittsburgh Point, which at that time was a peninsula jutting into Lake Havasu
Lake Havasu () is a large reservoir formed by Parker Dam on the Colorado River, on the border between San Bernardino County, California and Mohave County, Arizona, Arizona. Lake Havasu City sits on the Arizona (eastern) side of the lake with it ...
.[
] Once completed, a construction company dredged the Bridgewater Channel Canal under the bridge, across the neck of the Pittsburgh Point peninsula. The canal separating it from the city made Pittsburgh Point an island. As a result, the bridge now traverses a navigable shortcut between the Thompson Bay in Lake Havasu, south of Pittsburgh Point, and the northern part of Lake Havasu.[
]
Use as a tourist attraction
After the bridge was reconstructed, prospective buyers of land were attracted to visit the bridge and take a tour of properties for sale. Land sales improved, and McCulloch recouped all his expenses on the purchase and shipping of the bridge. Since he had obtained the land at no cost, the sale of the properties paid for the bridge and more. Recent years have seen much development in the area of the bridge to increase tourist interest.
The original "English Village" was an open-air mall with a hedge maze and historical museum built in faux-English style. It deteriorated over time and sections of the mall were leveled. The Lake Havasu City Convention & Visitors Bureau has undertaken a revitalization of the English Village,[
] with conversion of the mall to condos
A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...
proposed in 2011 by Virtual Realty Enterprises, its current owner.[
]
In popular culture
* The 1983 American psychological thriller ''Olivia Olivia may refer to:
People
* Olivia (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
* Olivia (singer) (Olivia Longott, born 1981), American singer
* Olívia (basketball) (Carlos Henrique Rodrigues do Nascimento, born 19 ...
'' used the relocation of the bridge as a central plot device.
* The 1985 made-for-TV movie '' Bridge Across Time'', a supernatural crime drama, used the relocation of the bridge as a plot device. In the film, the spirit of Jack the Ripper was somehow transported to 1980s Arizona along with a stone from London Bridge, resulting in a murder spree.
* London Bridge is featured in the 1987 film '' Million Dollar Mystery''.
* The paranormal television
Paranormal television is a genre of reality television that purports to document factual investigations of the paranormal rather than fictional representations seen in traditional narrative films and tv. Over the years, the genre has grown to be ...
series ''Ghost Adventures
''Ghost Adventures'' is an American paranormal and reality television series that premiered on October 17, 2008, on the Travel Channel before moving to Discovery+ in 2021. An independent film of the same name originally aired on the Sci-Fi Chann ...
'' covered the story of the London Bridge, in the episode "London Bridge
Several bridges named London Bridge have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark, in central London. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 1973, is a box girder bridge built from concrete and steel. It r ...
".
*In the 1993 film ''Falling Down
''Falling Down'' is a 1993 American action film directed by Joel Schumacher, written by Ebbe Roe Smith and released by Warner Bros. in the United States on February 26, 1993. The film stars Michael Douglas in the lead role of William Foster, a ...
'', Detective Prendergast plans to move to Lake Havasu with his wife. He sings the London Bridge tune to calm her down.
*In the song "London Homesick Blues" by ''Gary P. Nunn
Gary P. Nunn (born December 4, 1945) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He is best known for writing "London Homesick Blues", which was the theme song for ''Austin City Limits'' from 1977 to 2004 (seasons 2–29). Nunn is also consi ...
'' a reference is made with the line "Even London Bridge has fallen down and moved to Arizona". This song was the theme song for Austin City Limits television show from 1977 to 2004.
Image gallery
File:OldLondonBridge.JPG, London Bridge in the early 1890s
File:Londonbridge1900.jpg, London Bridge around 1900 with traffic
File:London-Bridge-March-1971.jpg, Bridge reconstruction at Lake Havasu in March 1971
File:London Bridge, Lake Havasu, Arizona, 2003.jpg, The rebuilt London Bridge in 2003
File:London Bridge Havasu Sign.jpg, Sign on the bridge
File:London Bridge Numbered Stone 5G78.jpg, Labelled stone still visible
File:London Bridge, Lake Havasu City - 2011 (Aerial Photo).jpg, Aerial photo of the bridge in 2011
See also
*
References
External links
*
*
*
Lake Havasu City Convention & Visitors Bureau about London Bridge
*
* Andrew, E. (2018)
How London Bridge ended up in Arizona
Retrieved October 10, 2019.
{{Authority control
Road bridges in Arizona
Bridges completed in 1831
Bridges completed in 1971
Landmarks in Arizona
Lower Colorado River Valley
Former buildings and structures in the City of London
Rebuilt buildings and structures in the United States
Relocated buildings and structures in Arizona
Transportation in Mohave County, Arizona
1968 establishments in Arizona
Tourist attractions in Mohave County, Arizona
Buildings and structures in Mohave County, Arizona
Lake Havasu City, Arizona
Historic American Engineering Record in Arizona
Arch bridges in the United States
Concrete bridges in the United States