Official website of the Bridge of Flowers
History
Did you know?
Construction of the Bridge cost $20,000...visit Slide Show
The Bridge of Flowers was once a trolley bridge built in 1908 by the Shelburne Falls & Colrain Street Railway. As the nearby Iron Bridge had only a 20-ton weight limit, the five-span, 400-foot concrete arched trolley bridge, connecting the towns of Shelburne and Buckland, was constructed to help deliver heavy freight from the Shelburne Falls railyard to the mills on the 7 1/2-mile line along Route 112 North to Colrain, as well as passengers and local goods, such as milk, apples and cotton.
The trolley was a "social and commercial connection" to area residents at that time. The railway company, however, was unable to keep up with progress, such as the invention of the automobile, as goods began to be hauled by truck and the company eventually went bankrupt in 1927. The railway's treasured history is maintained by the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum.
For more information about the SF&C Street Railway and the restored No. 10 trolley (which you can ride), visit sftm.org.
The Bridge became overgrown with weeds in the two years following the demise of the railway. But in 1929, someone had an idea... go to History page 2 to find out.
The first regular trolley trip Feb. 3, 1909.
Construction began July 29, 1908
by Red T. Ley & Co. in Springfield, Mass.
Welcome to the Bridge of Flowers .
