Chain Bridge

In 1797, Georgetown merchants built here the first bridge over the Potomac River to compete with the Virginia port of Alexandria. Known as the Falls Bridge, it let trade from Virginia's "upper country" move directly to Georgetown over the Georgetown-Leesburg Road. After floods destroyed the first two bridges, a chain suspension bridge with a span of 128 feet between stone towers was built in 1808 and was considered a marvel of engineering. Although later replaced by other forms of construction, the name Chain Bridge remained in use, and the present bridge was built after the flood of 1936.

Arlington, Virginia · United States