Van Veghten's Bridge

Van Veghten's Bridge is a bridge spanning the Raritan River in Somerset County, New Jersey, connecting the Finderne section of Bridgewater with Manville.[1] The bridge carries four lanes of Somerset County Route 533 across the river and the flood plain. In Manville the roadway is called North Main Street. In Bridgewater, it becomes Finderne Avenue.

Van Veghten's Bridge
Northbound, Van Veghten's Bridge, 2018
Coordinates40°33′19″N 74°34′59″W
Carries CR 533
CrossesRaritan River
LocaleBridgewater, New Jersey and Manville, New Jersey
Van Veghten's Bridge
Location in Somerset County, New Jersey

Background

The first bridge at this site, known as Van Veghten's after the land owner, Van Veghten, was built in the early 18th century, perhaps as early as 1733.[2] It was later rebuilt in 1774.[3]

It was noted in several events during the American Revolutionary War. On October 26, 1779, British Lieut. Col. John Graves Simcoe led a group of the Queen's Rangers and destroyed eighteen boats on the Raritan River at this site that were intended for use by the American General George Washington.[4] On August 30–31, 1781, the French Army under command of the French general Comte de Rochambeau, marched over the bridge, along the route to Yorktown, Virginia.[5]

History
Van Veghten's Bridge, 1934 commemorative plaque

The current bridge was first built in 1896 using stone arches and a Pratt through truss for the main span.[1] In 1934, the through truss was removed and replaced with a stringer bridge.[1]

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See also

References
  1. "CR 533 (Main Street) over Raritan River, 18G0702" (PDF). New Jersey Historic Bridge Survey: Somerset County: 130. November 12, 2002.
  2. Doughty, Joshua (1912). "Early Roads in Somerset County". In Honeyman, A. Van Doren (ed.). Somerset County Historical Quarterly. 1. p. 102.
  3. Snell, James P. (1881). "Early Bridges". History of Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, New Jersey. Everts & Peck. p. 578.
  4. Davis, T. E. (1895). "Simcoe's Raid". The Battle of Bound Brook. Washington Campground Association. pp. 18–21. OCLC 66268501.
  5. Selig, Robert A. "The Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route in The State of New Jersey, 1781 – 1783: An Historical and Architectural Survey" (PDF). New Jersey Historic Trust. pp. 198–214.


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