Description of Historic Place

The Seneca Bridge is a small steel and concrete bridge, crossing the Black Creek on the River Road (Highway 54, between Caledonia and Cayuga), in Haldimand County. Following the 1912 Good Road Convention's guidelines, the bridge handled all the road traffic between the two towns for more than thirty years.

It was designated for its historical and architectural value through Haldimand County By-law 443/84.

Heritage Value

The Good Road Convention, at Toronto on May 7, 1912, recommended that all new bridges from four to forty feet in length be built with steel beams embedded in concrete for structural stability. Any bridge over forty feet in length should be built solely of steel. The Seneca Bridge, built in 1913, and following these recommendations, has lasted more than 90 years, though it is no longer in use. Constructed by local contractors, the bridge stands as a testament to the area's economic development. The Ontario provincial government took over control of River Road from Cayuga to Caledonia from the Country, in or before 1937. At that time, it was renamed Highway 54. The Seneca Bridge handled all traffic between the two towns until 1950, when it was replaced with a larger structure. The bridge still stands today.

The bridge itself is small steel re-enforced concrete bridge over the Black Creek. Though it is no longer in use, it has stood the test of time. Its steel under supports and decorated side crash walls remain intact.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that reflect the heritage value of the Seneca Bridge include its:
- location along Black Creek for area traffic for more than 30 years
- steel and concrete construction