Brooklyn Bridge construction records
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Abstract
This collection consists of notes, letters, engineering computations, reports, specifications, inventories, and clippings relating to the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. The correspondence includes notes to Washington Roebling, as well as some items in his hand.
Historical note
The Brooklyn Bridge is a steel suspension bridge that spans the East River connecting the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn in New York City. Completed in 1883, the bridge was called both the East River Bridge and the New York and Brooklyn Bridge until 1915 when the name was officially changed to the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and was further designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1972. The original designer of the bridge was John Augustus Roebling (1806-1869), a German engineer who immigrated to the United States in 1831. Roebling invented the wire cable which he would eventually incorporate into the design of the Brooklyn Bridge. Roebling's son, Washington Augustus Roebling (1837-1926), also an engineer, took over as chief engineer of construction following the sudden death of his father in 1869. In 1872, Washington Roebling fell ill with decompression sickness, acquired during the construction of the bridge, and never fully recovered. His wife, Emily Warren Roebling (1843-1903), was instrumental in seeing through the construction and completion of the bridge.
Sources:
- Fletcher, Ellen. "John Augustus Roebling." In The Encyclopedia of New York City, edited by Kenneth T. Jackson, 1017. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press; New York: New-York Historical Society, 1995.
- Fletcher, Ellen. "Washington Augustus Roebling." In The Encyclopedia of New York City, edited by Kenneth T. Jackson, 1017. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press; New York: New-York Historical Society, 1995.
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of notes, letters, engineering computations, reports, specifications, inventories, and clippings relating to the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. The correspondence includes notes to Washington Roebling, as well as some items in his hand. The clippings and notes include information about other engineering projects, including in Virginia, as well as general scientific information related to the bridge's construction.
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Donors
Conditions Governing Access
Open to users without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
The materials in this collection are in the public domain. While many items at the Center for Brooklyn History are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Brooklyn Bridge construction records, 1977.259, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of John Dunn, 1966. Dunn collected these materials from the trash during the demolition of a city-owned building where he was a workman.
About this Guide
Processing Information
This collection was inventoried to the folder level by Harriet Stryker-Rodda upon acquisition in 1966. It was originally titled the Washington Roebling-Brooklyn Bridge collection. That inventory was made into a PDF document in 2006 by Quinn Lai under the supervision of Marilyn Petit. The collection was then described at the collection level in 2011 as part of a grant project.
In 2024, the collection was rehoused and reprocessed by Dee Bowers. At that time, the collection was foldered with typed labels and it is not known if the labels were applied by staff at the Long Island Historical Society or if they indicate original arrangement. The labels were photocopied and the originals discarded. The photocopies were filed alongside the folders' original contents to preserve them for researcher reference, but the materials were rearranged for clarity. Clippings were also photocopied and the originals discarded.
