Uploaded November 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
"One of a Kind in Virginia — The Barrel Arch Bridge"
"This bridge located nearby on State Route 611, is a singular example of prison labor craftsmanship. The inmates constructed the bridge in 1946 using bricks they had made themselves in the prison brickyard. Referred to as a voussoir arch bridge, or "barrel vault" bridge due to its resemblance to the inside of a wooden barrel, the bridge crosses over a spur of the Lorton and Occoquan Railroad. It is constructed in a five course common bond brick pattern and is 23 feet wide. It is the only masonry and brick arch bridge of its kind in Virginia."
"Arch building construction is one of the oldest and most durable structural forms. Perhaps the oldest existing example of a stone arch bridge was built to cross the River Meles in Smyrna, Turkey in the ninth century, B.C., and they can be found all over the world. Today this complex form is seldom used for modern bridges and the arched bridge is a vanishing feature in the transportation landscape."
"One of a Kind in Virginia — The Barrel Arch Bridge"
"This bridge located nearby on State Route 611, is a singular example of prison labor craftsmanship. The inmates constructed the bridge in 1946 using bricks they had made themselves in the prison brickyard. Referred to as a voussoir arch bridge, or "barrel vault" bridge due to its resemblance to the inside of a wooden barrel, the bridge crosses over a spur of the Lorton and Occoquan Railroad. It is constructed in a five course common bond brick pattern and is 23 feet wide. It is the only masonry and brick arch bridge of its kind in Virginia."
"Arch building construction is one of the oldest and most durable structural forms. Perhaps the oldest existing example of a stone arch bridge was built to cross the River Meles in Smyrna, Turkey in the ninth century, B.C., and they can be found all over the world. Today this complex form is seldom used for modern bridges and the arched bridge is a vanishing feature in the transportation landscape."
