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The Iron Bridge |
Q. What is it actually in real life? A. Exactly what it seems to be, an iron bridge that carries both vehicle and pedestrian traffic back and forth over a river.
Q. Where can I find it in real life? A. The village of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts is located on a curve in the Deerfield River,
And that river divides the village into two halves: the town of
Shelburne on the east side of the river, and the town of Buckland on the
west side. The iron bridge spans the river, linking the two communities
and forming one commercial district, known as Shelburne Falls. Not surprisingly, the main street that leads up to the bridge (from the east) is called Bridge Street. Although it is formally known as the Shelburne Falls Bridge, it is commonly referred to as the iron bridge,
to distinguish it from the nearby "Bridge of Flowers", a local tourist
attraction that also spans the river, just north of the iron
bridge. The
Bridge of Flowers started out as a narrow bridge for trolleys in 1908,
but when the trolleys went out of business in 1929, the town, in a
beautification effort, decided to transform it into a footbridge for
pedestrians, and to plant flowering bushes along both sides of the
narrow walkway. But bear in mind that the Iron bridge we see on the show is not the
Bridge of Flowers. They are two separate bridges, and only the iron
bridge carries vehicles as well as people. The 316-foot iron bridge was
built in 1890, after two earlier bridges collapsed. Here is a Google StreetView of the bridge, as seen looking west from Bridge Street:
Q. How the heck did you figure out where it was? A.
This was one of the easiest finds ever. I already knew they were
filming in Shelburne Falls, and this iron bridge Is the centerpiece in that
duel Village. It is difficult to find a single photo of Shelburne Falls
that doesn't show the bridge in one way or another. And the most
StreetViews in the village also reveal the bridge. All that was left
was to do a little research on its origins.
Showtime.. All other photos & text are Copyright © 2006-2022-Gary Wayne and may not be used without written permission. ![]() Return to the Seeing-Stars website Looking for something in particular? Search the Seeing-Stars website! |