Two Cent Bridge
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The Ticonic Footbridge, popularly known as the Two Cent Bridge or the Two Penny Bridge, is a
suspension bridge A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck (bridge), deck is hung below suspension wire rope, cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridg ...
that spans the
Kennebec River The Kennebec River (Abenaki language, Abenaki: ''Kinəpékʷihtəkʷ'') is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed June 30, 2011 river within the U.S. state of Maine. It ri ...
between the city of Waterville and the town of
Winslow Winslow may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Winslow, Buckinghamshire, England, a market town and civil parish * Winslow Rural District, Buckinghamshire, a rural district from 1894 to 1974 United States and Canada * Rural Municipality of Winslow ...
in Kennebec County, Maine. It is one of the oldest surviving wire-cable
steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
suspension bridges and also is considered to be the last known extant toll
footbridge A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...
in the United States.


History

The original footbridge was constructed in 1901 by Edwin Dwight Graves of the Berlin Construction Company. The bridge was owned by Ticonic Foot Bridge Company, which gave the bridge its official name. It was intended to give workers coming from Temple Street in Waterville easy access to Hollingsworth & Whitney Company (later
Scott Paper Company The Scott Paper Company was the world's largest manufacturer and marketer of sanitary tissue products with operations in 22 countries. Its products were sold under a variety of well-known brand names, including ''Scott Tissue'', ''Cottonelle'', ...
) mills across the Kennebec in Winslow. The original toll was one cent, which was collected at a booth on the Waterville side of the river. However, less than a year after its opening on December 15, 1901, the bridge was washed away by high water levels. The bridge was rebuilt in 1903. The second incarnation of the Ticonic proved to be sturdier, and continued to serve the local population for many years. The toll crossing rose to two cents, where the bridge derived its common name. In 1960 the toll was abolished altogether, when the Ticonic Foot Bridge Company presented the bridge to the city of Waterville as a gift.


Preservation and restoration

The Two Cent Bridge was added to the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1973. While considerable efforts have been put into maintaining the bridge, it has been closed at various points over the years when conditions have made foot crossings unsafe. On July 4, 1990, the Two Cent Bridge suffered severe structural damage when hundreds of people attending a nearby concert converged on the footpath, straining the bridge's weight and tension limits. The bridge was immediately closed and stabilized; complete restoration took several years. The historic tollbooth was removed but was later restored and replaced at the bridge. In 2012, the bridge was rehabilitated for continued pedestrian use. The metal grate deck and horizontal wind cables were replaced, and the lattice railing was removed and replaced with a modern railing. Currently, many civic organizations in the Waterville–Winslow area, including the local
Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, profe ...
, dedicate funds to the bridge's upkeep.


See also

* Hollingsworth & Whitney Company *
National Register of Historic Places listings in Kennebec County, Maine This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Kennebec County, Maine. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Kennebec County, Maine, United ...
*
List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine This is a list of bridges and tunnels on the National Register of Historic Places in the U.S. state of Maine. Bridges removed from the register References

{{NRHP bridges Bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine, ...


References

{{Authority control Former toll bridges in Maine Suspension bridges in Maine Bridges completed in 1903 Pedestrian bridges in the United States Bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine Bridges in Kennebec County, Maine Tourist attractions in Kennebec County, Maine Buildings and structures in Waterville, Maine Winslow, Maine Waterville, Maine 1901 establishments in Maine 1901 disestablishments in Maine 1903 establishments in Maine National Register of Historic Places in Kennebec County, Maine Pedestrian bridges on the National Register of Historic Places Steel bridges in the United States