Long before interstate highways and steel suspension bridges transformed American travel, a modest stone crossing in Philadelphia quietly connected some of the earliest colonial settlements. That bridge still exists today. Known as the Frankford Avenue Bridge, it has remained in continuous use for well over three centuries, carrying modern traffic across Pennypack Creek while preserving a direct link to the country’s colonial past. Although several historic bridges across the United States hold records for particular construction styles or materials, the Frankford Avenue Bridge stands apart because it combines remarkable age with uninterrupted service. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), it is the first known stone arch bridge built in the United States and is widely regarded as the oldest surviving roadway bridge still carrying vehicles.
The history behind the Frankford Avenue Bridge and King’s Highway
The Frankford Avenue Bridge is located in the Holmesburg neighbourhood of Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where Frankford Avenue (US Route 13) crosses Pennypack Creek. The structure was completed in 1697, making it more than 320 years old.The story of the bridge began several years earlier. According to WorldAtlas, William Penn requested that bridges be built along the King’s Highway after recognising the need for a dependable route between his estate and the growing city of Philadelphia. In March 1683, Pennsylvania’s General Assembly authorised bridges to be constructed across rivers and creeks along the King’s Highway, one of the earliest long-distance roads in colonial America.Residents were responsible for the construction. Men living nearby were required either to contribute labour or provide money towards the project, with financial penalties for anyone who refused. The completed bridge consisted of three stone arches and originally measured about 18 feet (5.5 metres) wide, providing just enough room for horse-drawn traffic travelling between Philadelphia and northern colonies.According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Frankford Avenue Bridge is “the first known stone arch built in the United States” and is “most likely the oldest stone bridge anywhere in the country.” The organisation also states that it remains the oldest stone arch bridge in America still serving a major travel route.
The Frankford Avenue Bridge’s role in the American Revolution
For much of the eighteenth century, the bridge formed part of the main overland route linking Philadelphia with Trenton, New York and Boston. Anyone travelling between the colonies by horse or coach would almost certainly have crossed Pennypack Creek here.As per WorldAtlas, delegates travelling to the Continental Congress, including John Adams, used this route during the years leading up to the American Revolution.The bridge also witnessed some significant moments in early American history. According to ASCE, an express rider from Boston reportedly crossed the bridge on 24 April 1775, five days after leaving Massachusetts, carrying news of the Battle of Lexington, the event that marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.Travel across the bridge became faster as transport improved. Historical records show that the first regular stagecoach service between Philadelphia and New York started in 1756, with the journey taking three days. By 1783, passengers could complete the same journey in a single day aboard the famous coach known as the Flying Machine.The crossing also formed part of George Washington’s journey to New York for his first presidential inauguration in 1789.
How the Frankford Avenue Bridge has survived more than 320 years
pc: worldatlas
Although the bridge still follows its seventeenth-century alignment, it has been altered several times to accommodate changing transport.A toll booth was installed at the southern end when the Frankford and Bristol Turnpike opened in 1803. The toll remained in place until Philadelphia assumed responsibility for the roadway in 1892.The bridge itself was widened in 1893 to allow trolley cars to pass safely, then widened again in 1950 for increasing automobile traffic. Despite these modifications, the original stone arches remain at the heart of the structure.Recognition of its engineering importance came later. The bridge was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by ASCE in 1970 before being listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. More recently, it underwent rehabilitation work in 2018, including repairs to the stone masonry, reconstructed walls and improved pedestrian walkways before reopening to traffic. ASCE also notes an unusual statistic: since the Frankford Avenue Bridge was built, 60 other bridges in Philadelphia have either been closed or abandoned, while this seventeenth-century crossing continues to serve motorists every day.
