Area less than one acre NRHP Reference # 91001609 Added to NRHP 14 November 1991 | Built 1915 (1915) Opened 1915 | |
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Location Main St. over Otter Cr., Proctor, Vermont Architectural style Reinforced concrete bridge MPS Metal Truss, Masonry, and Concrete Bridges in Vermont MPS Address Otter Creek, Proctor, VT 05765, USA Similar Gorham Covered Bridge, Vermont Marble Museum, Wilson Castle, Great Smoky Mountains, Shelburne Farms | ||
The Marble Bridge, formally known as the Fletcher D. Proctor Memorial Bridge, carries Main Street across Otter Creek in the center of Proctor, Vermont. Built in 1915 and widended in 1935-36, it is a well-preserved example of early concrete bridge construction, and is decoratively faced in local marble. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
Description and history
The Marble Bridge is one of a few bridges crossing Otter Creek in Proctor. It connects the village center on the west side of the creek, with mainly residential areas to the east, and provides access to United States Route 7, which runs north-south further to the east. The bridge consists of three concrete arch spans, each 42 feet (13 m) long, with a total structure length of 170 feet (52 m). The bridge is 38 feet (12 m) wide, and carries a two-lane road deck about 36 feet (11 m) above the creek. The arches are mounted on battered concrete piers, and the spandrels are faced in locally quarried gray marble. The sides of the bridge are adorned with marble balustrades.
The bridge was built in 1915 to a design by Harry Leslie Walker of New York City, and was originally a single lane wide. The 1910s were the first period in Vermont when concrete began to be used as a building material for bridges, and is one of the few concrete bridges in the state to survive from that period. It was widened in 1935-36 with funding from the Works Progress Administration. It is dedicated to Fletcher D. Proctor, who headed the family-owned Vermont Marble Company and served as Governor of Vermont. The bridge is a major marble landmark in the community, whose livelihood has depended on the stone for many years.