BRIDGES OF WASHINGTON, D.C.

Rapids Footbridge is located about a mile north of Peirce Mill, one of the major historical attractions of Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC. The bridge carries a spur trail from the Valley Trail and Beach Drive east of the creek to another trail west of the creek.

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If there can be one bridge in a group of largely similar bridges that is more special than the others, Rapids Footbridge is that bridge. The distinction is subtle, but Rapids has a few decorative flourishes that make it slightly more appealing than the other historic footbridges in Rock Creek Park, and even the official National Park Service historical studies of the park refer to Rapids Footbridge as being the “most notable” of the group. The concrete deck is three spans long but has a uniform thickness from bank to bank. It rests on two stone piers and two abutments, but the piers are different from those on the other footbridges. Instead of the concrete deck resting directly on stone piers, the piers are topped with a concrete capital. The concrete capital spreads the load of the deck across a wider area than just the top of the pier, and is also decorative, with a geometric art deco design. The railing is wooden post-and-rail, but with decorative, carved finials on top of the posts above the abutments and piers. The 1934 construction date is stamped into the concrete on both sides.

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There is a detailed description of the bridge, as well as the other historic footbridges connecting hiking trails in Rock Creek Park, in my book, Bridges of Washington, DC: A History and Guide.