Ninth Street Seven Arch Stone Bridge
- Historic bridge
- In Lockport, Illinois
- 0.6 mi from Route 66
- National Register of Historic Places
Lockport's seven-arch stone bridge on Ninth Street once carried traffic over the Des Plaines River in Lockport, near Joliet, IL, less than a mile off the old road. The bridge no longer stands: after storm damage in March 2011, the city demolished it that spring. Built of local limestone after its approval in 1868, it was the first bridge across the river in the area and it earned a National Register listing in 2004.
What is Ninth Street Seven Arch Stone Bridge?
This was a stone arch bridge in a plain, practical vernacular style, built from limestone quarried nearby and cut into blocks eight to twelve inches thick. As its name says, it rested on seven arches.
Today there is no bridge to see. The city planned to use pieces of its limestone in historical displays, so fragments of it live on as part of Lockport's effort to tell its own story.
History of Ninth Street Seven Arch Stone Bridge
Before the bridge, farmers living west of the Des Plaines River had to cross at a ford near 9th Street to reach Lockport. The new crossing, approved on March 20, 1868, was the first in the region over the river, and it made trade between those farmers and the town's merchants much easier.
Nobody knows for certain who built it. One likely candidate is Julius Scheibe, a respected local mason responsible for many of Lockport's stone buildings of the period, who was also serving as highway commissioner while the bridge went up. In the early 1900s a concrete slab was added to the foundation because water levels had risen after the Sanitary and Ship Canal was built in Chicago. The bridge closed to traffic in 1971, gained its National Register listing in 2004, and was badly damaged by a storm on March 8, 2011, before being demolished later that spring.
Visiting Ninth Street Seven Arch Stone Bridge: tips
Since the bridge is gone, this is a place to remember rather than visit. The best way to connect with its story is in Lockport's historic core: the Gaylord Building is about 0.3 miles from the bridge site, the Lockport Historic District about 0.4 miles, and the Will County Historical Society Headquarters about 0.5 miles.
Practical info
- Hours
- Closed permanently
- On site & nearby
Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix
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Questions about Ninth Street Seven Arch Stone Bridge
Can you still see the seven-arch bridge?
No. It was damaged by a storm on March 8, 2011, and the City of Lockport demolished it that spring.
How old was the bridge?
It was approved in 1868 and was the first bridge over the Des Plaines River in the region.
Own or run Ninth Street Seven Arch Stone Bridge? Send us a photo or a correction.