Description and history
The Eight Mile River takes its name from the location of its mouth, above the mouth of the Connecticut River, which it feeds via Hamburg Cove. Hamburg Bridge is located at a narrow point in the river, where it becomes shallowed and can no longer be passed by deep draft ships. A bridge has been standing at this site since 1759, and the area just below this head of navigation became the site of a small waterfront community. By 1800 (the first year for which reliable land records of the area are available), there were houses, shops, and wharves lining both sides of the river below the bridge. The area was economically successful until about 1824, when a deep-water channel was dredged to the village center of Hamburg, a short way downriver. The Hamburg Bridge area then waned economically, with no significant new development. The district is in size, and contains 10 houses, nine of which date to either the 18th or early 19th century (the tenth was built in 1879. They are all of wood frame construction, and architecturally vernacular, typically with modest stylistic embellishments from alterations. The properties that include waterfront footage also typically have a stone-lined landing area or projecting wharf. The current bridge is a three-arch concrete structure built in 1936.See also
*References
{{National Register of Historic Places National Register of Historic Places in New London County, Connecticut Lyme, Connecticut Historic districts in New London County, Connecticut Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut