Keyes House 1853 & Period Garden Park
A few nice civil engineering jobs images I found:
Keyes House 1853 & Period Garden Park
Image by beautifulcataya
"This brick Italianate style house was originally built for Lansing W. Hoyt, a local land speculator, and his wife Melvina in 1853. It was later occupied Elizabeth and Elisha W. Keyes, a powerful state and local political "boss" who was appointed postmaster by Abraham Lincoln in 1861. In the 19th century postmasters wielded a great deal of political power because they controlled many jobs that they could give to political supporters. Keyes was elected Mayor of Madison in 1865 and again in 1866 and 1886. In the Progressive era, "Fighting Bob" La Follette made Keyes the symbol, somewhat undeservedly, of the political corruption of big business. The original front yard of this house has been preserved as Period Garden Park. Area residents campaigned successfully to protect this open space after plans to build a large apartment house on the site were announced. Designated January 31, 1972"
"Period Garden is a small park, 0.235 acres, at Gorham and Pinckney Streets. This was once the front lawn of the Elisha W. Keyes House, at 104 E. Gorham, which was built in 1853-1854. In 1972, the owner of the property (at that time a parking lot), proposed building a 30-unit efficiency apartment building on the site. This would have hidden the facade of the Keyes House, which had just been named a landmark by the City Landmarks Commission, and seemed inappropriate for the Mansion Hill neighborhood. A private citizens group organized to buy the property to save it from development. The land was purchased and the park created through a combination of private contributions and State and City funding. In 1975, after the City took ownership, the Civil Engineers of the Air National Guard removed the asphalt parking lot. A park was designed to resemble the type of garden that this neighborhood once enjoyed." (From Park News, Fall 2002)
"Period Garden Park. Designed to preserve part of the original spacious character of the Mansion Hill area, the Period Garden Park incorporated historically elements that complement its two landmark neighbors, the Elisha Keyes House and the Timothy Brown House. The combination of grassy areas and large planted beds occurred frequently in early Madison domestic gardens. Curvilinear forms, brick walk ways, carved sandstone step decorations and iron fencing were also familiar elements. When a thirty-unit apartment building was planned for this site, the former lawn of the Elisha Keyes House, neighborhood residents, downtown business and interested citizens from around the city worked and contributed to the historic park fund to create this garden. City and state officials cooperated to secure state and federal funds for part of the purchase price. The park was developed and is maintained by the city parks division. It was dedicated on May 8, 1977 by the Board of Park Commissioners and the Madison Landmarks Commission."
Original Source : Click Here
Kinzua Bridge State Park
Image by Curtis McCormick
When built in 1882, Kinzua Viaduct was the highest railroad bridge in the world. It was constructed as an alternative to laying an additional eight miles of track over rough terrain along the line leading to McKean County’s coal, timber and oil lands.
Built of iron, the original viaduct was 301 feet high, 2,053 feet long, and weighed 3,105,000 pounds.
By 1900, it became necessary to rebuild the entire structure with steel to accommodate heavier trains. That May, about 100 to 150 men working ten-hour days completed the job in 105 days. The new steel viaduct had the same measurements, but now weighed 6,715,000 pounds.
Freight traffic discontinued in June of 1959. In 1963, Governor William Scranton signed a law that created Kinzua Bridge State Park. The park officially opened in 1970. In 1977, Kinzua Viaduct received national recognition when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks.
Beginning in 1987, excursion trains traveled from Kane, PA through Allegheny National Forest, stopping on Kinzua Viaduct before returning to its point of origin.The Kinzua Bridge was originally built in 1882 and rebuilt again in 1900. The bridge was 301 feet at it’s highest point.
On Monday, July 21, 2003, at approximately 3:15 p.m., an F1 tornado (wind speed 73 – 112 mph) struck the side of Kinzua Viaduct. Eleven towers from the center of the bridge were torn from their concrete bases and thrown to the valley floor.
Repairs continue in an effort to stabilize the remaining nine towers. DCNR is now in conducting feasibility studies to determine what to do with Kinzua Bridge.
Original Source : Click Here
Original Source : Click Here
