Keystone Bridge "A" - Middlefield, MA - Stone Bridges on Waymarking.com

The Keystone Arch Bridges are a series of stone arch bridges built to allow railroad traffic to cross the steep gorges of the Westfield River in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts on their way to reach the Erie Canal in New York State. The bridges were constructed by West Point graduate Major George Washington Whistler and William Gibbs McNeill. They were built without mortar or steel reinforcement and are the oldest railroad bridges of their kind in the United States.

The construction of the Keystone Arch Bridge trail has made several of these bridges accessible to the public. There are four bridges, three of which can be easily reached: Keystone Bridge "A", Keystone Bridge "B" and the Double Arch Keystone Bridge. There is no public access to Keystone Bridge "C".

The westernmost bridge on Keystone Arch trail is the majestic 80' high Keystone Bridge "A". It was built in 1840-1841 by the Western Railroad to connect Worcester, MA to and W. Stockbridge at the Massachusetts-New York state line where it connected with the Albany and West Stockbridge Railroad. The bridges were a key link in the first trunk line completed in the United States.

The Keystone Arch Bridge District is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Physical Location (city, county, etc.): Middlefield, MA Road, Highway, Street, etc.: Western Railroad Bridge Water or other terrain spanned: Westfield River Architect/Builder: Major George Washington Whistler and William Gibbs McNeill Construction Date: 1840-1841

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