How the Turnspan Works
April 23rd 2024
A Birds Eye view of what it took to turn this old bridge on April 20th by our friend Brian Stover Drone Photography.
The Harmar Bridge was built in 1856 as a covered bridge for wagon traffic. It was transformed during the Civil War Era to become a steel railroad bridge and spent most of its life as a vessel for the B&O Railroad. Much of the structure was washed away and rebuilt in the 1913 flood and became the icon we see today.
When it was closed in early 2020, it was not done so lightly or in haste. It was closed because it is unsafe for pedestrian traffic. So when we are asked to open the bridge for our community to have safe passage - we do so with great pride. It is these days where we remember our mission so clearly to rehabilitate and restore this bridge as a pedestrian only artery connecting the West Side and Downtown Marietta and just how important it is for our community.
Raising the funds to apply for state and federal grants in order to save this bridge and also maintain our properties in Harmar Village is done so through the Harmar Days Festival and the accompanying raffle. What we do could not be possible without you. We hope you will join us the last weekend in July in the heart of the West Side of Marietta to celebrate our community and will purchase your raffle ticket to help us get one step closer to our goal.