200th anniversary party this weekend
Give the "free bridge" a honk on Friday.
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission invites motorists to join in commemoration of the New Hope-Lambertville Bridge’s 200th anniversary by giving a beep of their car horns while crossing the bridge during daytime hours.
The first bridge at the location was a timber structure financed by a private shareholder-owned corporation called the New Hope Delaware Bridge Company. The inaugural bridge was declared "ready for crossing" on Sept. 12, 1814. Friday will be the crossing’s 200th anniversary.
The commission invited motorists to salute the bridge’s birthday by giving a single honk of the horn if they happen to drive across the bridge between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Friday. Motorists are urged to limit their celebratory horn honks while at the middle of the bridge.
The sounding of car horns will be a warm-up act for a 200th anniversary event scheduled to take place at the Lambertville Station Inn’s new Riverside Ballroom between 1 and 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13. The "Cheers to Our Bridge!" open house is free and is sponsored by the Lambertville Historical Society, the New Hope Historical Society and the Lambertville Station Restaurant and Inn.
The day will include photo displays, a film and walking tours of the history of the bridge every 30 minutes beginning at 1:30.
Related activities will include historian-guided SPLASH steamboat tours ($5) on the hour and half-hour between noon and 5 p.m. and river sports exhibitions along the Delaware.
The original covered bridge that opened on Sept. 12, 1814, significantly eased access to both sides of the river and has gone through several incarnations resulting in the bridge in use today, according to the local historical societies.
The Lambertville Historical Society is headquartered in and maintains the James Marshall House Museum at 60 Bridge St. It is open Saturdays and Sundays through the end of October from 1-4 p.m. Admission is free.
A guided walking tour of Lambertville is available on the first Sunday of the month through October leaving the Marshall House at 2 p.m. It’s free, but donations are appreciated.
The Historical Society promotes, inspires and encourages the preservation and appreciation of Lambertville’s architecture and history through education, community involvement, and preserving and maintaining the James Marshall Museum.
Call 609-397-0770 or visit www.lambertvillehistoricalsociety.org for information.
While originally constructed and run as a toll bridge by private concerns, it is now maintained by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.