DescriptionOne of the many feature of nineteenth century canals was the Swing Bridge. These bridges crossed the canal and allowed traffic from one side to the other. Usually these bridges operated from the bank of the canal to the towpath on the opposite side. The Swing bridges rotated upon a pivot. This artifact illustrates the pivot mechanism that allowed this rotation. This pivot allowed the bridge to move to the side and allow boats and other water traffic to pass through.

NoteIn 1998, the New Brunswick Free Public Library accepted 31 artifacts that were recovered from the Delaware & Raritan Canal outlet lock and towpath. Currently they are are on permanent display in the Henry Guest House which is on the library grounds. The various artifacts are organized into six different categories: Tools; Pieces of Canal; Milk Bottles; Mule Shoes; Workers Personal Objects; and Bones. As a part of the inventory, each artifact is listed with a label (Item no., Title, Description, and Date Accepted), an expanded description, and a photograph(s). These objects are a portion of the Delaware and Raritan Canal Collection of the NBFPL Archives. The larger collection includes pictures, articles, and documents about the canal and its history. Access is available by appointment at the library.

Genreartifacts

Time PeriodExpansion and Reform (1801-1861), The Industrial Revolution (1870-1900)

Persistent URLhttps://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3HX1C91

CollectionDelaware and Raritan Canal Artifacts

Organization NameNew Brunswick Free Public Library

RightsThis resource may be copyright protected. You may make use of this resource, with proper attribution, for educational and other non-commercial uses only. Contact the contributing organization to obtain permission for reproduction, publication, and commercial use.

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