Historic Building Plan of the Day
Wheeling Suspension Bridge
Oldest vehicular suspension bridge still in operation in the world; span in excess of 1,000 feet. First bridge built crossing the Ohio River. Originally designed and built by Charles Ellet in 1849, it was often called the father of modern American suspension bridges.
- Time to build: original span completed October 20, 1849, per HAER data pages
Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division. Library of Congress item. Full drawing: South Elevation at loc.gov. No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted.