Schell Bridge

The Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad had established rail service to Northfield by 1850, along a line running from Millers Falls, Massachusetts, to Brattleboro, Vermont. Even though the railway crossed the Connecticut River in Northfield, East Northfield Station was actually located in West Northfield, making it necessary for disembarking passengers to travel back across the Connecticut River on the lower deck of the rail bridge. To provide for safer and more convenient access across the river, Francis Schell gave $42,000 for the construction of a new steel bridge. After initially being scheduled for demolition by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation in 2007 or 2008, efforts by local preservationists to save the historical landmark delayed the proposed demolition. In 2013, a group called "Friends of the Schell Bridge", which had been dedicated to saving the bridge, reversed course and sided with the state in favor of demolishing the historic bridge. ==Preservation effort==

A year-long engineering study was performed by the Picker Engineering School at Smith College, which determined that the bridge is structurally sound and is a good candidate for rehabilitation. ==Image gallery==

File:IMG 4007 serious blockage.jpg|This 2007 photograph shows a steel plate across the east portal of the Schell bridge. A similar one is on the west portal, since the bridge deck is rusting through. The top of the plate reads "Where the sidewalk ends." The plate has a "NO TRESPASSING" sign bolted to it as well. File:Metal Barrier.JPG|View of the metal barriers while on Schell bridge. The barriers were put up to prevent people from crossing the bridge, but many (young) townies use it as a place to escape, especially during the summer, when many jump into the river. File:Schell Bridge - East Side.JPG|View of Schell Bridge facing the east bank of the Connecticut River. File:Schell Memorial Bridge, Northfield, Mass (NYPL b12647398-67593).tiff|1904 postcard ==See also==