Van Buskirk Gulf Road Bridge

The Van Buskirk Gulf Road Bridge in the town of Newfield, a ca. 1818 stone arch bridge, is the oldest known bridge in Tompkins County. By 1992, it was unable to bear the weight of heavier vehicles and faced the threat of demolition. Historic Ithaca brokered an agreement with the town of Newfield to restore the bridge and directed fundraising efforts to support the project. Given the location and nature of the project, the cleaning of the bridge required a person to work from the waterbed using a rowboat as a makeshift platform. After the first cleaning, significant stabilization work, including some dismantling and reconstruction of the stone arch, continued through 1994.

1990.

Newsletters: December 1992, September 1994