Phoenixville Bridge Rededicated For Martin Luther King Jr.

PHOENIXVILLE, PA -- In a move that backers say is emblematic of bridging social, economic, racial divisions in the borough, the Main Street Bridge over French Creek in Phoenixville has been renamed after Martin Luther King Jr.

The move was made official during a ceremony at the bridge on Monday.

“A bridge is so symbolic of the efforts of Dr. King, to build bridges between not only the races but also the generations and the economic levels,” said former Phoenixville mayor Leo Scoda, the pastor of Bethel Baptist Church and one of the head organizers of the renaming group.

The group, the Phoenixville Area Social Concerns Committee, first considered renaming the bridge about five years ago when members of the community asked the borough council to rename a street in honor of King.

Due to complications in renaming existing streets, the group worked with the borough council to name a new street that was to be constructed through the old Steel Company Property after King, according to Scoda.

But the street never received finances for construction, Scoda said, and the plan fell through.

The bridge over French Creek, never officially named and only known colloquially as the Main Street Bridge, is owned by Chester County. Therefore, organizers with the Social Concerns Committee met with county commissioners and informed the borough council of the process.

Scoda said it went smooth and quick.

“It was not a difficult process,” Scoda said. “Letters were sent. Meetings were held. The county commissioners unanimously voted for the dedication.”

He added that King’s historic march for civil rights over the bridge in Selma, Alabama, was an inspiration for the naming.

“The march over the bridge in Selma was certainly symbolic of his efforts, as this march attempted to insure the voting rights of all Americans,” he said. ”Dr. King is a National Hero with a national holiday in his honor. Young people are especially aware of the work he has done to insure civil rights for all.”

Image courtesy Nobel Prize Foundation.