In February, members of the Kimmswick Historical Society discovered the Windsor Harbor Road Bridge in the Kimmswick area had structural problems.
In the ensuing weeks, the society, which owns the bridge that spans Rock Creek and is on the National Register of Historic Places, closed it to foot traffic and formed a committee to save the bridge that dates back to 1874.
“We’re very concerned about this,” said Becky Hagan, an officer of the society. “It’s the oldest-known wrought-iron bridge in Missouri. We do have the committee we’ve formed.”
Steve Kalisch of the society is chair of the five-member committee.
“I’d say this started a month ago,” Kalisch said March 12. “Art Heyl – he’s one of the society’s board members – had weeds cleared out, the growth under the bridge. He usually oversees maintenance for everything. When they did that, they identified a structural (support) of the bridge that was distorted really badly.
“So, they notified Art, and Art went down there. Art went to our monthly meeting and showed pictures of the failure, and that’s when we, as the membership, decided to start a committee to look into fixing the bridge, saving the bridge.”
Kalisch said there have been no dangerous incidents caused by the bridge’s condition, but the distorted support and other concerns led to the society closing it.
The bridge, a little more than 123 feet long, is largely ornamental, but people could walk on it or use it as a setting for prom or wedding photos until the structural problems were found, Hagan and Kalisch said.
“It’s a lovely place to get your picture taken,” Hagan said. “When I posted about it, kids said that (high school) seniors won’t be able to have their pictures taken on the bridge.”
“People could walk on it until February,” Kalisch added.
According to a plaque on the north end of the bridge, it was built in the 1870s spanning the River Des Peres in St. Louis, where it stood until 1928. It was moved to its current location in 1930, when the Jefferson County Commission, the predecessor of the Jefferson County Council, took ownership of it.
“In 1985, (county officials) were going to demolish the bridge and scrap it,” Kalisch said. “The Kimmswick Historical Society said, no, we’ll take ownership of the bridge.”
Kimmswick Mayor Kenneth Kraft III said the bridge’s location more of less falls into a “no man’s land,” but he wants Kimmswick to assist in the effort to save it.
“I call that the Bermuda Triangle area,” Kraft said. “It’s part Jefferson County, part Kimmswick and owned by the Kimmswick Historical Society. All three take care of that area.”
Kalisch said members of the Lemay Historical Society also are interested in the bridge because of its history spanning the River Des Peres in their area.
“Our goal is to keep it from falling down,” he said. “Once we stabilize it, next we go through the bridge and identify other defects and repair them.”
For more information, go to the Kimmswick Historical Society page on Facebook. Hagan said those interested in saving the bridge or other aspects of the Kimmswick Historical Society also may visit the Kimmswick Historical Society Museum, 6000 Third St. from 1-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.