Centre Bridge

Centre Bridge was named for its position about midway between Lambertville and Lumberville. It stands at the site of a ferry operated about 1700 by Colonel John Reading, who owned the land on the New Jersey side of the river. About 1731, the ferry was later operated by his son-in-law Daniel Howell and became known as Howell's Ferry. It was also called Mitchell's Ferry after William Mitchell, who owned the land on the Pennsylvania side of the river. By concurrent legislative acts passed by New Jersey on February 18th, 1811, and by Pennsylvania on March 23rd, 1811, the Centre Bridge Company was granted authority to construct a bridge across the river at this point. The original bridge, a covered timber structure, opened for travel in the spring of 1814 and remained in service until lightning struck it on July 22nd, 1923, totally destroying it. Through the efforts of Senators Clarence J. Buckman of Pennsylvania and David H. Agans of New Jersey, appropriations were secured for the purchase and rebuilding of the structure. A joint commission of Pennsylvania and New Jersey purchased the property on November 6th, 1925, then constructed the present bridge, which opened on July 16th, 1927, under the direction of Superintendent and Engineer Louis Focht.

Stockton, New Jersey · United States