Historic Name Identification Bridge 89859 / Ramsey Park Swayback Bridge SHPO Inventory Number Review and Compliance Number Current Name Bridge 89859 Field # Address N/A East Oak Street (CSAH 31) over Minnesota River City/Twp Redwood Falls County Redwood Legal Desc. Twp 113 Range 36 Sec 36 QQ SWNE USGS Quad REDWOOD FALLS UTM Zone 15N Datum NAD83 Easting 331223 Northing 4935262 Property ID (PIN) Form (New or Updated) Updated Linear Feature? No HPC Status: Unknown Resource Type Structure Architect/Engineer WPA Style No Style Construction Date 1938 Original Use Transportation Current Use Transportation Description Description Bridge 89859, also known as the Ramsey Park Swayback Bridge, is located in Alexander Ramsey Park in Redwood Falls, Redwood County, Minnesota. The bridge was constructed in 1938 and is owned by Redwood County. It has a southwest to northeast alignment and carries CSAH 31 (East Oak Street) over the Redwood River. Alexander Ramsey Park is a 219-acre municipal park located north of downtown Redwood Falls. The area northeast of the bridge is surrounded by wooded parkland, parking areas, and the Ramsey Park Zoo. The area southwest of the bridge is wooded parkland with trails and a parking area. The Redwood River follows a generally northwest to southeast alignment through the park, and has banks lined with trees, riprap, and soil. There are several islands in the river, including one upstream of the bridge and a smaller one immediately downstream. The Ramsey Park Swayback Bridge is a multi-span, Rustic Style, reinforced-concrete slab bridge that is faced with North Redwood granite. The structure has an overall length of 183 feet and an overall width of 24 feet. The substructure of the 14- span bridge consists of abutments, wingwalls that are parallel to the deck, and 13 piers. The superstructure consists of 14 reinforced-concrete slab spans, each 12 feet in length. The bridge has a swayback arch design with the low point in the middle of the bridge. The entire bridge, except for the deck and underside of the deck slabs, is faced with locally quarried North Redwood granite from the Hosken Granite Works quarry in Redwood Falls. The roughly square cut granite is laid in irregular coursing. The 10 middle spans are open and allow water to pass underneath, while granite spandrels cover two spans (including the piers) at each end of the bridge. The nine exposed piers under the open spans feature cutwaters both upstream and downstream. The deck width is 20 feet. Along both sides of the deck there is a low parapet railing, with a stone wheel guard lining the roadway. A bridge plate is located at the northeast end of the bridge, on the north railing. EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS Historical Context Reinforced Concrete Highway Bridges in MN, 1900-1945 Federal Relief Programs in Minnesota, 1933-1941 Historical Narrative Bridge 89859 is located within the Alexander Ramsey Park. Originally a state park, Alexander Ramsey Park was created in 1911, when State Representative Joseph Keefe and State Senator Frank Clague secured a State appropriation of $7,500 for the
purchase of 80 acres of land to create the park (Johanneck 2010:39; Redwood County Board of Commissioners 1964). Additional tracks of land were later acquired to expand the park. In the 1930s, a zoo was established in the park under Superintendent Waldo Marsh (Redwood County Board of Commissioners 1964:504-505). In 1938, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) designed and constructed several improvements in Alexander Ramsey Park, including sanitation buildings, stone curbing, the Ramsey Park Swayback Bridge, and the lower shelter (Johanneck 2010:39; Anderson 1993:F-24). In 1957, the State of Minnesota transferred ownership of the park to the City of Redwood Falls. Today, the park offers many amenities and attractions, including campground facilities, shelter houses, paved hiking trails, a trout stream for fishing, scenic overlooks, and a zoo (Redwood Area Community Center 2013). Works Progress Administration Funded Bridges Built in 1938, Bridge 89859 was one of many bridges built by the WPA under Work Project Number 2781 and WPA project State Serial Number 4-1206 ) (Department of Highways to Mr. Victor Chirstgau, State Administrator Works Progress Administration, later changed to the Works Projects Administration, letter regarding WPA Project State Serial Number 4-1206, March 16, 1938). During the New Deal era, several federal programs were created, including the WPA, in the hopes of providing work for the unemployed. The WPA was established in 1935 with two main functions, first, to operate a nationwide program of small useful projects designed to provide employment for needy employable workers, and secondly, it was responsible for coordinating the various activities of the Works Program as a whole (Anderson 1990:E-48). The WPA sponsored a wide range of work projects, including bridge construction (Anderson 1990:E-48). The WPA funded 1,400 bridge construction or improvement projects in Minnesota alone. While the primary purpose of New Deal programs, were to put people back to work, programs such as the WPA were also influential in Minnesota bridge design and construction as they funded new construction that otherwise would not have occurred. The WPA did not necessarily create new engineering, but it did influence the architectural treatment of funded bridges, requiring that they incorporate Rustic, Classical Revival or Art Deco style elements (Frame 1988:F-6).WPA bridges were commonly built of stone, wood, or concrete. These materials were selected in order to make construction more labor intensive and, therefore, provide more jobs (Frame 1988:E-15). Many bridges were built within parks. Park bridges were commonly built in the Rustic style to be compatible with the park setting (Frame 1988:E-15). Park Bridges The rise of urban parks and park bridges coincided with urban expansion, the growth of city and state road systems, and the introduction of reinforced-concrete (Frame 1988:E-14). According to the ideas of Frederick Law Olmsted, urban parks were meant to be a refuge from the commercial and industrial centers and immigrant-crowded neighborhoods (Frame 1988:E-14). Within this context, a bridge located in a park setting was not meant to be merely an expected necessity, but an opportunity for the park commission and landscape architect to request a special bridge design, in harmony with the grand park scheme (Frame 1988:E-14). In 1901, bridge engineer Henry Gratten Tyrrell quipped that bridges that were particularly appropriate to parks would be based on the arch or suspension bridge, with rustic treatment being desirable (Frame 1988:E-15). Park bridges also provided an ideal opportunity to explore the possibilities of the new concrete (Frame 1988:E-15). The Ramsey Park Swayback Bridge Bridge 89859 is an example of a WPA park bridge that is designed in the Rustic style. Constructed of concrete and faced with locally quarried granite, its unique and elegant design enabled it to become a landmark feature of Alexander Ramsey Park (Gimmestad 1978a; FEMA 2010). The unique swayback design was an innovative solution for an ongoing problem. The bridge is located within the Redwood River floodplain and prior to its construction, several bridges had been built in this location and all had washed away during floods (FEMA 2010). The swayback design is an ideal solution for locations prone to flooding as the design consists of a reversed arch where the lowest section of the bridge is in the middle, so it allows flood waters to flow over the top of bridge deck without causing damage to the structure (Gimmestad 1978a; FEMA 2010). Few bridges are known to have ever been built using a swayback design. A query of the national website Bridgehunter.com, revealed that apart from one in Alabama, Bridge 89859 is the only other known bridge to have been constructed using the swayback design (Bridgehunter.com 2014). Among all bridges constructed in Minnesota, as well as within the body of bridges completed by the WPA nationally, Bridge 89859, is the only known bridge so constructed utilizing the functional swayback design (Gimmestad 1978b).
There is little documentation regarding any changes to the bridge over time; however, it appears to have changed little over time. The bridge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1978 (Gimmestad 1978b). According to the NRHP nomination, remodeling and replacement were being considered at the time (Gimmestad 1978b). However, no work appears to have been done at that time, although at some point prior to 2010, a three-inch bituminous wearing surface was placed on the deck (Widseth Smith Nolting & Associates 2012). In 2010, Bridge 89859 was damaged by severe weather and flooding. While the Redwood County Highway Department was pursuing funds to repair the bridge, it was further damaged by flooding in the spring of 2011. In 2011, portions of the bituminous wearing surface were scoured away by the flood waters, exposing considerable damage to the concrete deck, including large areas of spalling and deterioration, and exposed reinforcing steel. The bridge was then inspected by the firm Widseth Smith Nolting & Associates, who recommended closing the bridge and removing the remaining bituminous surface so the entire deck could be inspected (Widseth Smith Nolting & Associates 2012). After this more thorough inspection was completed, the bridge was reopened to pedestrian and limited vehicular traffic. However, due to its poor condition, it was recommended for rehabilitation. Widseth Smith Nolting & Associates prepared the plans for the rehabilitation in accordance with the Secretary of Interior s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (SOI s Standards). The scope of work included repointing the stone on the piers and railings; replacing a few missing stones in-kind; replacing the concrete slab spans in-kind; adding new floor drains; and approach work to transition the roadway to the new deck (Widseth Smith Nolting & Associates 2012; Ramsey Park Swayback Bride Determination Letter in Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Review & Compliance File No. 2012-0681,Bradley Johnson, United States Army Corps of Engineers, for Tamara E. Cameron, Chief, Regulatory Branch United States Army Corp of Engineers, to Dr. Mary Ann Heidemann, Minnesota SHPO, December 19, 2012). Redwood County received funds to rehabilitate the bridge through the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant Program. The project also required a permit from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). Therefore, the project was subject to the requirements of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, Section 106, and the Minnesota Historic Sites Act (Minnesota SHPO Response Letter in Minnesota SHPO Review & Compliance File 2012-068, Mary Ann Heidemann, Manager of Government Programs and Compliance to Tamara Cameron, Regulatory Branch Chief US Army Corps of Engineers-St. Paul District, January 14, 2013). As the lead federal agency for the project, the Corps reviewed the plans and determined that the rehabilitation met the SOI s Standards and would have no adverse effect on the bridge and the Minnesota SHPO concurred (Ramsey Park Swayback Bridge Determination Letter in Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Review & Compliance File No. 2012-0681, Bradley Johnson, United States Army Corps for Tamara E. Cameron, Chief, Regulatory Branch United States Army Corps to Dr. Mary Ann Heidemann Minnesota SHPO, December 19, 2012; Ramsey Park Swayback Bridge Repair Letter in Minnesota SHPO Review & Compliance File 2012-0681, Mary Ann Heidemann, Minnesota SHPO to William D. Rabenberg, Redwood County Highway Department, August 28, 2012; Minnesota SHPO Response Letter in Minnesota SHPO Review & Compliance File 2012-068, Mary Ann Heidemann, Manager of Government Programs and Compliance to Tamara Cameron, Regulatory Branch Chief US Army Corps of Engineers-St. Paul District, January 14, 2013). The rehabilitation work was completed on October 30, 2013 (William D. Rabenberg, Redwood County Highway Department personal communication with Katie Ohland, the 106 Group Ltd., February 6, 2014). Significance Bridge 89859 was listed in the NRHP in 1978. The bridge is significant under Criterion C in the area of Engineering, as a unique variation of type for its swayback design that was built by the WPA (Gimmestad 1978b). According to the Reinforced- Concrete Highway Bridges in Minnesota Multiple Property Documentation Form (MPDF), to be eligible under Criterion C within the context, Reinforced-Concrete Highway Bridges in Minnesota, 1900-1945, a bridge must move beyond typicality as an indicator of significance. The structure should possess additional important qualities, such as being the sole surviving example, the oldest example, the longest span, the most intact example, the work of a major engineer, or contractor, or exhibiting notable engineering or architectural details (Frame 1988:F-4). Bridge 89859 meets Registration Requirement 2, as a bridge Designed or constructed with patented or otherwise specially designed elements. Bridge 89859 utilizes the rare swayback design, a unique design solution to accommodate a river crossing that experiences frequent flooding. Previous bridges in the area were continuously washed away during floods. The swayback design became a necessary design solution for the crossing as it allows flood waters and debris to flow over the bridge, eliminating blockages under the spans and damage to the structure.
Bridge 89859 meets Registration Requirement 5, as a bridge Designed with outstanding architectural style or ornamentation (Frame 1988:F-7). Registration Requirement 5 states that such bridges represent extraordinary aesthetic efforts to enhance a crossing at an important location. They usually are found in significant and prominent urban settings, such as in park settings (Frame 1988:F-8). Bridge 89859 represents an extraordinary aesthetic effort to enhance the natural, picturesque character of Alexander Ramsey Park. The bridge is an example of the Rustic style, a style often used by the WPA. The elegant swayback design combined with the use of locally quarried North Redwood granite and its rustic styling enables the bridge to blend with and greatly enhance the aesthetics of its prominent park setting. Bridge 89859 also meets Registration Requirement 7, as a bridge visibly documented (has identification plaque) as being constructed through a New Deal agency (e.g., WPA) and having architectural merit and integrity as outlined in Requirement No. 5 above (Frame 1988:F-9). Bridge 89859 was built by the WPA in 1938 and retains its original plaque. The structure embodies the work of the WPA and demonstrates its ability to design a functional structure that also enhances the aesthetics of Alexander Ramsey Park. Bridge 89859 was also evaluated under the historic context Federal Relief Programs in Minnesota, 1933-1941. As the Ramsey Swayback Bridge is located within a park, the bridge was evaluated under the Social and Recreational Facilities property type under the category of Parks and Parkways in the Federal Relief Construction in Minnesota MPDF (Anderson 1993). According to the Federal Relief Construction in Minnesota MPDF, to be eligible for the NRHP within the historic context Federal Relief Programs in Minnesota, 1933-1941, parks and parkway properties must meet the registration requirements for social and recreational facilities. As a structure constructed using federal financing/funding, the bridge meets Registration Requirement 1. It also meets Registration Requirement 2, which requires that it be completed by 1941 (Anderson (1993:F-27). Within the Federal Relief Programs in Minnesota MPDF, Bridge 89859 is significant under Criterion C, under Registration Requirement 3(b), for its embodiment of distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or because it may represent the work of a master, or possess high artistic values (Anderson 1993:F-27). Since its creation, Alexander Ramsey Park was a favorite place for recreation. Bridge 89859 was one of several improvements constructed by the WPA in 1938 to enhance the park. While the WPA constructed many bridges with outstanding architectural aesthetics, it was not well known for creating new engineering. However, in Bridge 89859 the WPA utilized an innovative engineering solution, a unique swayback design that was designed to accommodate the frequent flooding of the Redwood River, and added native stone to produce a bridge with outstanding architectural merit that was also fully integrated into its picturesque, natural setting of the park. Under both historic contexts, Bridge 89859 has a period of significance of 1938, which corresponds with the year it was built. Under the both the Federal Relief Construction in Minnesota MPDF and the Reinforced-Concrete Highway Bridges in Minnesota MPDF Bridge 89859 is significant at the state level. The bridge may also have potential national significance, as it is one of only two known extant swayback bridges in the United States and is the only known swayback to have been designed and constructed by the WPA. However, more research would be required to determine it potential national significance. Integrity - Within the Reinforced-Concrete Highway Bridges in Minnesota MPDF, to meet the integrity requirements for its aesthetics under Registration Requirement 5, a structure should retain considerable architectural integrity (Frame 1988:F-8). The Federal Relief Construction in Minnesota MPDF further requires that: A Social or Recreational Facility should possess integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, and association, and should be without major alterations. Original materials and prominent features should remain intact, and any alterations should be modest in scale without impacting or obscuring major facades, elements, or design features (Anderson 1993:F-29). Bridge 89859 retains its integrity of setting and location. In 2013, the structure was rehabilitated according to the SOI s Standards after being heavily damaged by a flood in 2010. As part of the rehabilitation, the bridge was repointed; a few missing stones were replaced with in-kind material; the concrete slab spans were replaced with in-kind; new floor drains were installed; and approach work was completed to transition the roadway to the new deck. The Corps reviewed the plans and
determined that they met the SOI s Standards and would result in no adverse affect to the bridge, and the Minnesota SHPO concurred (Ramsey Park Swayback Bridge Determination Letter in Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Review & Compliance File No. 2012-0681, Bradley Johnson, United States Army Corps for Tamara E. Cameron, Chief, Regulatory Branch United States Army Corps to Dr. Mary Ann Heidemann, Minnesota SHPO, December 19, 2012; Minnesota SHPO Response Letter in Minnesota SHPO Review & Compliance File 2012-068, Mary Ann Heidemann, Minnesota SHPO to Tamara Cameron, Regulatory Branch Chief United States Army Corps, January 14, 2013). The SOI Standards state that deteriorated historic features will be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature will match the old in design, color, texture, and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features will be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence (NPS 1997). Although the project followed the SOI s Standards, it did result in the loss of some of the bridge s historic material, particularly through the replacement of the concrete slab spans. As a result, the integrity of materials and workmanship has been slightly compromised. The Reinforced- Concrete Highway Bridges in Minnesota MPDF states that the significant reinforced-concrete element in the superstructure span (i.e., the actual arch, slab, girder, mushroom-capped column, or rigid frame) must be in substantially original condition for a bridge to be eligible for the NRHP under the MPDF. However, Bridge 89859 primarily derives is Criterion C significance from its aesthetics, and the geometry of the swayback. The individual slab spans are individually indistinct in their engineering; therefore, their replacement does not affect the aesthetics of the bridge, its integrity of design, or its ability to convey its Criterion C significance. As the bridge retains its integrity of location, setting, design, and generally good integrity of workmanship and materials of the features from which it derives its significance, Bridge 89859 retains its integrity of feeling and association. Therefore, Bridge 89859 retains sufficient integrity to convey its historical significance. Recommendation Bridge 89859 was listed in the NRHP in 1978. The bridge is significant at the state level under Criterion C in the area of Engineering, as a variation of type, as a unique swayback design bridge that was built by the WPA (Gimmestad 1978b). Within the Reinforced-Concrete Highway Bridges in Minnesota MPDF, Bridge 89859 meets Registration Requirement 2, as a bridge utilizing the swayback design to accommodate a crossing that experiences frequent flooding. It also meets Registration Requirement 5, as an example of an elegant swayback design that was constructed of local materials in the Rustic style, which was commonly used by the WPA, particularly in parks. The structure also meets Registration Requirement 7, as a bridge constructed by a New Deal agency that has architectural merit. Bridge 89859 is also significant the historic context Federal Relief Programs in Minnesota, 1933-1941. Within the Federal Relief Programs in Minnesota MPDF, the bridge meets Registration Requirement 3(b) within the Social and Recreational Facilities property type under the category of Parks and Parkways, as an elegantly designed Rustic style swayback bridge constructed by the WPA. The bridge retains sufficient integrity to convey its historical significance; therefore, Bridge 89859 is recommended as still eligible for the NRHP under Criterion C in the area of Engineering within the historic contexts Reinforced-Concrete Highway Bridges in Minnesota, 1900-1945 and Federal Relief Programs in Minnesota, 1933-1941. The recommended period of significance is 1938, which corresponds with the year the bridge was built. Bridge 89859 is also recommended as potentially eligible for the NRHP at the national level under Criterion C, in the area of Engineering, as it is one of two known extant swayback bridges in the United States and is the only swayback structure known to have been and built by the WPA. Since this level of evaluation was outside the scope of this survey, additional research is recommended to document the potential national significance of this structure. Sources Anderson, Rolf T. 1993 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form: Federal Relief Construction in Minnesota, 1933-1941. Prepared by Rolf T. Anderson. On file at the State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] 2010 Historic Swayback Bridge Survives Redwood's Troubled Waters. Electronic document, http://www.fema.gov/news-
release/2010/08/04/historic-swayback-bridge-survives-redwoods-troubled-waters, accessed October 1, 2013. Frame, Robert 1988 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form: Reinforced-Concrete Highway Bridges in Minnesota, 1900-1945. Prepared by Dr. Robert M. Frame III, Historical Consultant. On file at the State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Gimmestad, Dennis 1978a National Register Nomination Form: Honnor-Hosken House, RW-NRC-003. On file at the State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. 1978b National Register Nomination Form: Ramsey Park Swayback Bridge,. On file at the State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Minnesota Department of Transportation [MnDOT] 1958 Ramsey Swayback Bridge. On file at the Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul, Minnesota. 2012 Mn/DOT Structure Inventory Report, Bridge ID:89859. Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul, Minnesota. National Park Service [NPS] 1997 Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. U. S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Heritage Preservation Services, Washington D. C. Redwood Area Community Center 2013 Alexander Ramsey Park. Electronic document, http://redwoodareacommunitycenter.com/area-parks/alexander-ramseypark/, accessed October 1, 2013. Redwood County Board of Commissioners 1964 Redwood the Story of a County. Redwood County Board of Commissioners, Redwood County, Minnesota. Redwood County Highway Department 1938 Historic Photograph of the Ramsey Park Swayback Bridge. On file at the Redwood County Highway Department, Redwood Falls, Minnesota. 2007 Photograph of the Ramsey Park Swayback Bridge. On file at the Redwood County Highway Department, Redwood Falls, Minnesota. c. 2010 Photograph of the Ramsey Park Swayback Bridge. On file at the Redwood County Highway Department, Redwood Falls, Minnesota. 2013 Photograph of the Ramsey Park Swayback Bridge. On file at the Redwood County Highway Department, Redwood Falls, Minnesota. Rounds, Shawn P. 1995 Minnesota Historic Bridge Inventory Bridge No. 89859 (). On file at the State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. State of Minnesota Department of Conservation Division of State Parks 1938 Alexander Ramsey State Park Bridge and Road Alignment Plan Set. On file at the Redwood County Highway Department, Redwood Falls, Minnesota. Widseth Smith Nolting & Associates
2012a Preliminary Design Review For Bridge Repair & Preservation Bridge No. 89859-Swayback Bridge SAP NO. 064-631- 004. Prepared by Widseth Smith Nolting & Associates. On file at the State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. 2012b Construction Plan Set for Bridge Deck Replacement and Substructure Repair (No. 89859). Widseth Smith Nolting & Associates, Alexandra, Minnesota. On file at the State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota. Consultant's Recommendation of Eligibility Eligible - Individual Prepared By Katie Ohland The 106 Group Ltd. Date Surveyed 10/3/2013
1 Property Photograph 2 Post-Rehabilitation 2013 Facing SW
3 Facing SE 4 Facing SW
5 Facing SW 6 Bridge Plate
7 2007 8 Pre-Rehabilitation c. 2010
9 1938