James Finley (1762[1] - 1828), also known as Judge James Finley, is widely recognised as the first designer and builder of the modern suspension bridge. Born in Maryland, Finley moved to a 287-acre farm in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, near Uniontown[1]. Elected a justice of the peace in 1784, he went on to become county comm issioner in 1789, and a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate. From 1791 until his death, he was an Associate Judge for Fayette County[1]. His Jacob's Creek Bridge, built in 1801 for US$600[2], and demolished in 1833, was the first example of a suspension bridge using wrought iron chains and with a level deck. It connected Uniontown to Greensburg, spanning 21 metres (70 feet), and was 12 feet 6 inches wide[2]. Other bridges by Finley or to his patent include:
- Potomac River, 1807, 39 metre span
- Schuylkill Falls, Philadelphia, 1809, two 47 metre spans, collapsed 1811 under a herd of cattle
- Newburyport, Massachusetts over the Merrimack River, 1810, 74 metre (244 feet) span, collapsed 1827
- Brownsville, Pennsylvania, collapsed in 1820 under a snow-covered cart
- Lehigh River, Northampton, Pennsylvania, retained in service until 1933
None of Finley's bridges now survive. Finley patented his system in 1808 and also published a paper on the principles of the deck-stiffened suspension bridge.[2]
References
External links
- James Finley information at Structurae
- Image of Finley's bridge
