Schuylkill Permanent Bridge at High Street

Completed in 1805, the Schuylkill Permanent Bridge was the first covered bridge in America. Built to replace a pontoon bridge at High Street (now Market) this new bridge was covered to protect it from the weather and thus extend its life. Designed by notable bridge architect Timothy Palmer, with woodwork and ornamentation by Owen Biddle, the bridge became a famous Philadelphia landmark. Widened in 1850 to accommodate a railroad connection with the Columbia and Pennsylvania Railroads, it was destroyed by fire in 1875.