Have you ever wondered what’s at the bottom of a lake? At the bottom of the Youghiogheny River Lake, the answer is an old bridge and the remains of an ancient town.
In western Pennsylvania, a prolonged drought has caused water levels in the Youghiogheny River Lake to drop to historic lows, revealing the Great Crossing Bridge: a 200-year-old sandstone structure typically found 50 feet below the surface of the lake. lies more.
This rare rise of the bridge provides a unique view of Pennsylvania’s past, with all three arches of the bridge visible for the first time since 1998.
Completed in 1818, the Great Crossing Bridge was originally built as part of the National Highway, connecting the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and linking Fayette and Somerset counties.
Funded by the federal government, this historic road marked the beginning of the nation’s transportation network.
The bridge was ceremonially opened by President James Monroe, and the nearby town of Somerfield – initially called Smithfield – was later renamed in 1830 after he applied for its own post office and discovered that another Smithfield already existed.
Somerfield prospered until the 1930s, when frequent flooding in the area led to poverty and it was subsequently decided to build a dam.
Completed in 1944, the dam eventually flooded the small valley, submerging the town and its historic bridge.
Local officials predict water levels will return to normal in the coming weeks as winter snowfall and rainfall replenish the reservoir.
But for now, visitors have a fleeting chance to witness a rarely seen piece of history that once served as a vital link for early American travelers.
