Narrowsburg–Darbytown Bridge

Narrowsburg-Darbytown Bridge
Official name	Narrowsburg-Darbytown Bridge
Carries	2 lanes of Pennsylvania Route 652 and New York Route 52
Crosses	Delaware River
Locale	Darbytown, Pennsylvania and Narrowsburg, New York
Coordinates	41°36′35″N 75°03′43″W / 41.609715°N 75.061855°W / 41.609715; -75.061855Coordinates: 41°36′35″N 75°03′43″W / 41.609715°N 75.061855°W / 41.609715; -75.061855

The Narrowsburg–Darbytown Bridge spans the Delaware River between Darbytown, Pennsylvania and Narrowsburg, New York. Narrowsburg is located in the town of Tusten, but the hamlet along the river's edge is known as Narrowsburg because it is the narrowest part of the River.

In either 1810 or 1830, the Narrowsburg Bridge Company obtained a charter to construct a 25-foot-wide bridge (7.6 m) across the narrows, and to charge a toll for its use. The rates of passage were 37 ½ cents for a one-horse wagon, $1 for 4 horses, and 6 cents for a person walking: to put this in perspective, a good laborer could earn one dollar for a full day's work (12–15 hours). The bridge became part of a transportation system, which included the Mount Hope–Lumberland Turnpike, chartered in 1812. This pike ran from Orange County, New York to Honesdale, Pennsylvania and in many places was reinforced by a plank road. Ice and high water apparently took out at least two bridges before 1848.

In 1899, the Oswego Bridge Company constructed an iron structure, which lasted until the present interstate bridge was completed in 1953. It was not until January 12, 1927, that the bridge became toll free, after being purchased by the New York-Pennsylvania Joint Bridge Commission for $55,000.^[1]

Citations

1. ^ Arthur J. Hawker, Tusten to 1900. Narrowsburg, New York.

See also

• List of crossings of the Delaware River