Lithograph titled "High Bridge near Farmville Va, 1858" by Edward Beyer published for the "Album of Virginia" the view looking westward from the Prince Edward side towards Cumberland

  IMAGE High bridge Battlefield Museum Collection

The High Bridge was built for the South Side Rail Road from Petersburg to Lynchburg.  Construction of the rail line began in 1846, initially following a path to pass between Prince Edward Courthouse and the town of Farmville.  As the central community in the area for commerce trade, citizens within the community of Farmville petitioned to build the rail line adjacent the town.  As an incentive, the community invested over 100,000 dollars in bonds for shares in the rail road.  The terrain proved somewhat adverse as a loaded train at that time could not easily climb the grade over the surrounding hills of the town.  

The project's Chief Engineer, C.O. Sanford, surveyed the area and proposed a site just northeast of town crossing the Appomattox River, through Cumberland County and crossing the Appomattox River again into Prince Edward.  The most suitable location, considering the grade necessary for the track to be made, was near the Overton farm, where there were two opposing bluffs nearest to the Appomattox River.  The river designated the county line between Cumberland and Prince Edward. 

The bridge was 2529 ft. in length, ranging 60-125 ft. in height across the valley of  the Appomattox River flood plain.  Twenty brick piers set on stone foundations supported a wooden superstructure.  Considered an engineering marvel for its size in height and length, Chief Engineer Sanford's report to the South Side stockholders stated that  "there have been higher bridges not so long, and longer bridges not so high, but taking the length and height together, this is, perhaps the largest bridge in the world."

The bridge brought many spectators from around the world, including German artist Edward Beyer, who sketched and painted scenes and views of Virginias landscapes in the late 1850's.  Some of Beyer's artwork, was later published in a book titled "The Album of Virginia" which consisted of forty lithograph plates such as the one above titled The High Bridge near Farmville VA.

The South Side Rail Road and High Bridge, changed ownership and development into the 20th century. The original wooden superstructure of the bridge was replaced with steel.  As Locomotives and rail cars improved, an entirely new bridge was built parallel to the first, even higher and longer than its predessor to support the heavier traffic.  The last commercial ownership was by the Norfolk Southern Railway Co. who abandoned the portion of rail road with the High Bridge. 

In order to preserve this historic landmark the Norfolk Southern Railway Co. donated 33.8-miles of the abandoned line on December 2006, to the state of Virginia, forming High Bridge Trail State Park.  At present 22 miles of the High Bridge Trail have been opened for Public Visitation and the High Bridge can be closely viewed from the Cumberland County side. for more information please visit the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Parks website.

Sources:

Lithograph of "High Bridge Near Farmville Va" by Edward Beyer collection of High Bridge Battlefield Museum 

"A History of High Bridge" by Jo D. Smith Published 1987 Farmville Printing

"History of Prince Edward County, Virginia" by Herbert C. Bradshaw Pub;1955,1993,2003

"The Battle of High Bridge", by  Michael C. Lucas, High Bridge Battlefield Museum Archives

Image of High Bridge with photographer Timothy O'sullivan in the foreground summer of 1865

Courtesy of the Library of Congress image collection

Image of High Bridge by photographer Timothy O'sullivan in summer of 1865

Courtesy of the Library of Congress image collection