Know Your Neighborhood: The Ben Franklin Bridge (part 2): Demolition & Design  

In 1921, an Act of the United States Congress authorizing the bridge was passed with an estimate for the construction cost of $28,871,000. Work on the Delaware River Bridge (as it was originally called) commenced on January 6, 1922.

Between 1922 and 1926, numerous 18th & 19th century buildings were torn down for the bridge. Saint John’s Lutheran Church (1st photo - B&W of interior, which held 1,300) was the oldest English Lutheran Church in the U.S. when it was demolished to make way for the Philadelphia approach and plaza of the bridge. After demolition of St. Johns, the congregation moved to the Overbrook section of the city, merged with another congregation and, in 1928-29, erected a replica of the original 6th Street building. (2nd photo - postcard of replica church)  All surrounding structures in that Franklin Square area were torn down for the bridge plaza (3rd - map).

A rather narrow strip of buildings were torn down between 5th St and the riverfront, but they included numerous small businesses that inhabited the area (4th photo - map showing route of bridge). Thirty waterfront buildings were destroyed. Wilbur Chocolates (now The Chocolate Works) had part of their factory razed for the bridge's approach (5th photo). The Eagle Hotel on N 3rd St. was torn down (6th).

The Bridge was designed by a team of people. Ralph Modjeski was hired as the chief engineer, Leon Moissieff, in charge of the design, and Paul Philippe Cret was the main architect. Cret was already well known in Philadelphia as the architect who laid out The Parkway and redesigned Rittenhouse Square.

The structure was designed as a suspension bridge, in which the load-bearing deck is suspended above the water from cables (last photo). The cables are tethered between towers and anchored at each end of the bridge. While this was not a new system, it was the invention of higher-quality steel that made suspension bridges stronger than any other, able to span great distances with minimal interruption of boat traffic. By the 1920s, few steel structures like this existed anywhere in the world.

Part 3 will look at construction and the opening in time for the Sesquicentennial.

Litho of the Eagle Hotel in 1855. A few years later the street numbering system changed and the address became 227 N 3rd St.

317 Florist St before demolition

N.W. corner of Race & Delaware Ave, 1922.  All these buildings were

torn down for the bridge anchorage.

Looking west at the demolition for the bridge approach; St Augustine's tower is visible at 1:00