Thomas Viaduct
Begun in 1832 the Thomas Viaduct was the first
train bridge ever to be built on a curve. It was part if the 
B&O
railroad and named for the company’s first president, Philip
E. Thomas. The designer of the stone arch structure was Benjamin
F. Latrobe Jr., one of the chief B&O engineers of the early
19th century. During its construction it was widely believed that
the bridge would not hold under the weight of a loaded train, and
it became known as "Latrobe’s Folly." It soon
proved to be one of the sturdiest structures in the nation. The
conductors and travelers of the Underground Railroad made use of
the viaduct for shelter in the years before the Civil War. It
would become a defense post for the Union. In 1964 the Thomas
Viaduct was named a National Historic Landmark.
Facts and Figures |
Directions |
| Span: 612 ft. Height:
60ft. Material used: 24,000 cubic yards of granite Cost: $150,000 Opened: July 4th 1835 |
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