Carrollton Viaduct

Carrollton Viaduct
Carrollton Viaduct over the Gwynns Falls stream in southwest Baltimore, first bridge built 1828–1829 for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, founded 1827. Pictured in 1971
Coordinates39°16′31″N 76°39′18″W / 39.2754°N 76.6549°W / 39.2754; -76.6549
CarriesRailroad
CrossesGwynns Falls
LocaleBaltimore, Maryland
OwnerCSX Transportation
Characteristics
DesignArch bridge
MaterialGranite
Total length312 feet (95 m)
Height65 feet (20 m)
Longest span80 feet (24 m)
Clearance below51 feet 9 inches (15.8 m)
History
Construction start1828 (1828)
Opened1829
Carrollton Viaduct
Located in Baltimore, Maryland
Located in Baltimore, Maryland
Carrollton Viaduct
LocationGwynn's Falls near Carroll Park, Baltimore, Maryland
Coordinates39°16′31.5″N 76°39′17.6″W / 39.275417°N 76.654889°W / 39.275417; -76.654889
Built1829
ArchitectJames Lloyd; Caspar Wever
NRHP reference No.71001032[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPNovember 11, 1971[1]
Designated NHLNovember 11, 1971[2]
Location
Map

The Carrollton Viaduct, located over the Gwynns Falls stream near Carroll Park in southwest Baltimore, Maryland, is the first stone masonry bridge for railroad use in the United States, built for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, founded 1827, and one of the world's oldest railroad bridges still in use for rail traffic. Construction began in 1828 and was completed in 1829. The bridge is named in honor of Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737–1832), of Maryland, known for being the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, the only Roman Catholic in the Second Continental Congress (1775–1781), and wealthiest man in the Thirteen Colonies of the time of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783).

In 1982 the viaduct was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ "Carrollton Viaduct". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on February 11, 2007. Retrieved October 8, 2007.