Building Bridges: State Marker Dedication & Unveiling

Philadelphia, (Germantown) PA – “When built it was not just a way across the Wissahickon, but a way forward into the new century,” wrote one historian of the Walnut Lane Bridge.  On October 18, 2008 Cliveden of the National Trust presents a State Marker Dedication and Unveiling ceremony at the Walnut Lane Bridge to usher in the bridge’s new century.  The bridge is located at the intersection of West Walnut Lane and Park Line Drive in Germantown. Traffic will be closed on the bridge from 12:00pm to 2:00pm as Cliveden presents its final event in an ongoing celebration of the Walnut Lane Bridge’s 100th anniversary.  The afternoon presents an excellent opportunity for the community to learn the history behind one of its most captivating landmarks.  

The ceremony will take place at 1:00pm and include speakers such as David Young, executive director of Cliveden and resident of Germantown.  A Philadelphia Historical Commission designation will be read by historian Jon Farnham and there will also be state and local officials commending the work of the City on the project.   Finalizing the dedication, descendants of the Walnut Lane Bridge builders will unveil state historical markers at each end of the bridge.  

The ceremony will also include music by a local string band and drum corps, providing entertainment for the whole family.  Songs like Hail Philadelphia and others of the time period aim to align with those performed at the bridge’s opening in 1908.  Booths of local organizations will line the bridge, including sites from Historic Germantown and Friends of the Wissahickon.   

A Catfish and Waffles Luncheon, a Wissahickon tradition that accompanied the bridge’s opening 100 years ago, will follow the event.  It will be held at the Ugly Moose, 443 Shurs Lane, between 2:30 and 4:00.  Advanced reservation is necessary.  Those interested should contact Rick Fink, Education Director, at (215) 848 – 1777 or rfink@cliveden.org.  

The Walnut Lane Bridge was completed in 1908 and represents more than a connection between Germantown and Roxborough.  It became a product for a bold new vision of Philadelphia.  The bridge was infused with “beautility” – an idea that the combination of “beauty” and “utility” in architecture could “lift up the spirit of citizens in every day life.” Maurice Fitzmaurice, Chief engineer of London has insisted that the Walnut Lane Bridge was “worth the trip across the Atlantic.”  The Walnut Lane Bridge has inspired bridge design both locally and nationally, including the Green Lane Bridge in Manayunk and the Rock Creek Bridge in Washington D.C.   

Cliveden’s ongoing Walnut Lane Bridge Exhibit opened May 1st and runs through December 31, 2008.   The exhibition is FREE to the public and open daily at Cliveden from 12:00pm – 4:00pm.  More information on the Walnut Lane Bridge and dedication ceremony can be found at www.walnutlanebridge.org or www.cliveden.org.  

Sponsoring partners of the Walnut Lane Bridge Exhibition at Cliveden include The Institute for Museum and Library Services, Museums for America, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Cliveden of the National Trust, Historic Germantown Preserved, Roxborough Historical Society, Ugly Moose Restaurant, Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant, and Albert E. and Stephanie G. Wolf.