California Powder Works Bridge

California Powder Works Bridge in Santa Cruz was built in 1872 to link the California Powder Works across the San Lorenzo River, connecting the company’s riverside factory complex during its years of operation from 1863 to 1914. Constructed by the Pacific Bridge Company, it is a single-span covered Smith truss bridge made chiefly of Douglas fir, with a corrugated metal roof and board-and-batten siding. After the powder works closed, the surrounding property became Paradise Park, and the bridge came under the care of the Paradise Park Masonic Club. Its rarity and preservation make it especially significant: it is one of 23 surviving historic pre-1955 Smith truss bridges in the United States and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2015.

Paradise Park, California · United States