Hunterdon County’s Hamp Road Truss Bridge stands as one of New Jersey’s finest surviving examples of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century metal truss bridge engineering. Built in 1900 by the renowned Wrought Iron Bridge Company (WIBC) of Canton, Ohio, the bridge spans Alexauken Creek in West Amwell Township, connecting Hamp Road with Alexauken Creek Road. Distinguished by its unusual cast-iron connector nodes incorporated into an otherwise all-steel structure, the bridge is immediately recognizable as a product of WIBC craftsmanship.
| Once, Hunterdon County was home to more than ten Wrought Iron Bridge Company spans. Today, the Hamp Road Bridge is the county’s best-preserved example and an increasingly rare survivor of a bridge type that once defined rural American transportation. Recognizing its exceptional significance, the New Jersey Historic Sites Council unanimously recommended the bridge for listing on the State and National Registers of Historic Places in March 2026. Despite this professional endorsement, the nomination was ultimately vetoed by the Assistant Commissioner following objections from Hunterdon County. |