Bridge Over Troubled Waters Tuesday – Week Thirteen! I really love all these bridges – most are vintage and bear some historic significance, but this one has a couple of differences from other bridges I have visited. It was originally somewhere else – and was reassembled here.
How do you find it?
The bridge is located a bit south and east of Salem, and is located in the lovely town of Stanton. There is a small park next to the bridge which makes the scenery all the better. There was some great parking and a very short walk to the foot-traffic only bridge.
Arriving at the Stayton-Jordan Bridge
There are several small obelisks commemorating various contributors to the bridge’s relocation and restoration – it’s quite a nice display and the generosity of the individuals and organization is obvious from the beauty of the bridge.
Bricks built into the walk up to the bridge are also etched with contributors to the bridge’s restoration. I found it very encouraging there are so many who supported the restoration of this magnificent bridge – it means there are folks out there who appreciate these kinds of historic sites.
Stayton-Jordan Bridge Front
The front of the bridge has a rounded arch on top which is different from many of the other bridges we’ve seen, and according to the plaque shown earlier, reflect the design of the original construction. The portal nearest the parking lot is large and the bridge itself is a plain whitewashed color like most of the bridges we’ve seen before.
Inside the Bridge
SHOW WIDE VIEW INSIDE
Inside the bridge the path is wide and clear. The wooden floor is very impressive and definitely built to last. The most impressive feature of the bridge is on either side – which is the double-reinforced angled supports – these look like twenty foot long six by eight inch wood beams. From what it looked like to me the bridge could withstand any kind of natural disaster – I definitely appreciate the idea of sturdy construction. The waterway that the bridge crosses is clear and smooth – the water flows very slowly and the whole atmosphere feels tremendously relaxing.
Looking up the ceiling is visible an the amount of overbuilding and sturdiness is visible there too. The ceiling is complex and shows the care taken in the construction.
There is a much smaller foot bridge that goes directly to the park that can be seen from the large windows in the side of the bridge. The openings on the side are so large that they are really just supports for the roof. There aren’t any traditional walls like most of the other bridges we’ve seen – only the double reinforced cross members.
Looking Toward the Park
The grassy area next to he bridge between the bridge and small park is very nice and I can see there being events hosted in that space. When I visited it was a clear day and the possibilities seemed endless. Thee entire area is quite lovely and about a block away there is a small cafe celebrating the bridge – which I plan to visit very soon.
Rating and Summary
I’m really enjoying visiting these bridges – the history represented in them is a testament to the ingenuity of those early architects. Oregon has many of these historic bridges and the Stanton-Jordan bridge is one that has been moved from its original location to the current location. The lack of proper walls mans the views are that much better from the bridge, and it’s proximity to a lovely park is an added bonus. Overall the Stayton-Jordan bridge deserves five Heywillamettes because of it’s sturdiness, location, and the inspiration the supporters of it’s restoration brought me.
Hey Willamette Valley 