California Powder Works Bridge National Historic Landmark Nomination
Bennett L. 2015. California Powder Works Bridge National Historic Landmark Nomination. National Historic Landmark Nominations. 15000279_NHL. National Park Service. Washington, DC
This document is the National Historic Landmark nomination for the California Powder Works Bridge National Historic Landmark in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, California. The NHL nomination for the California Powder Works Bridge documents its national significance under NHL Criterion 4. Built in 1872, this covered bridge is an excellent example of a Smith truss, a nationally significant timber bridge type, of which only twenty-three historic examples survive. This unique system allowed wood bridges to compete with iron bridges for a brief period following the Civil War. The bridge is an essential component of the California Powder Works, which was the first black powder mill on the West Coast, and is the last remnant of Smith Bridge Company operations, which represent the last effort to market timber bridges on a national scale. The period of national significance is 1872.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Bennett, Lola
- Date of Issue
- 2015-02-27
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Keywords
- California, covered bridge, engineering, National Historic Landmark, Santa Cruz, Smith truss, transportation