Ely's Stone Bridge

Ely's Stone Bridge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	Stone Bridge Road Monticello, Iowa
Coordinates	42°15′24″N 91°13′31″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1893
Built by	Reuben Ely, Sr. and Reuben Ely, Jr.
NRHP reference No.	79000908[1]
Added to NRHP	March 7, 1979

Ely's Stone Bridge is a bridge that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The bridge was built across Deer Creek in 1893 by Reuben Ely, Sr., a farmer, and his son Reuben Ely, Jr. The bridge is a three-span arch bridge made of stone from the stream bed and quarries in Anamosa, Iowa.[2]

There are no bridges like it in the area, and it seems to have been a "personal expression" of the stonemasons. The bridge was maintained by four generations of stonemasons in the family.[3]

The bridge had been tuckpointed in 1933 and 1957 and was assessed to be in excellent condition in 1979.[3]: 2  As of 2008, the foundation of the bridge had recently been reinforced with concrete.

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. Jackson, Donald C. (1988). Great American Bridges and Dams. John Wiley and Sons. pp. 205. ISBN 0-471-14385-5.
3. M.H. Bowers (January 1979). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Ely's Stone Bridge". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-06-25. with two photos from 1978