Historic Bridge At Morristown Park Restored With Government Funding

MORRISTOWN, NJ — The National Park Service has rebuilt a footbridge at Morristown National Historical Park in New Jersey using $80,000 and labor from a New York City career and technical high school.

The trail bridge reconstruction was recently finished thanks to a partnership with Stephen T. Mather Building Arts & Craftsmanship High School.

The Great American Outdoors Act-funded project, according to officials, was prioritized due to the age of the bridge supports and erosion of soil and stones along the stream bank that supported the bridge.

“We are so appreciative of the hard work and craftsmanship by the students and interns, which will allow the thousands of visitors and equestrians who use our trails to have a structurally sound and historically accurate bridge to cross for many years to come,” said Park Superintendent Tom Ross at a recent ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the project.

The bridge is located on the Grand Loop Trail (White Trail) in the park's Jockey Hollow Area, where it crosses the Primrose Brook. After Congress established the park in 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps built the original trail bridge in 1939 as part of the park's hiking trails.

The bridge was last rehabilitated in 1993, according to the National Park Service.

A total of $79,876 was needed to complete the project and all funding was provided through the Great American Outdoors Act.

Mather is a New York City-based career and technical education school where students can gain hands-on experience in building and landscaping trades through a partnership with the National Park Service.

Matthew Jacobs, who manages the Mather partnership and program for the NPS, emphasized how important student work is to our communities and to public service.

“I think it’s really impressive that now, in 2022, this group of young people have been able to make their mark and continue the legacy of the CCC,” Jacobs said. “This project, and all the projects Mather youth have completed over the past 10 years, are all reminders of the amazing difference young people can make when they are given a chance.”

Visitors to Morristown National Historical Park spent an estimated $21.6 million in local communities last year. These investments supported 244 jobs, $13.1 million in labor income, $21.0 million in value added and $32.2 million in local economic output.