Adventures in the Archives: The Artichoke Bridge
A young man and his bicycle are stopped on the Plummer Spring/Middle Street Bridge and appear to be taking in the view. Image is early 20th century and from the Museum of Old Newbury’s Postcard Collection [POST-042].
by Ashley Adams Serveiss, Collections Manager & Archivist
If you prefer a less-traveled route between West Newbury and Newburyport, you might be familiar with the Plummer Spring Road/Middle Street Bridge, also known as the Artichoke Bridge. You’re likely also aware that the bridge has, much to our chagrin, been closed since 2018. Connecting Plummer Spring Road and Middle Street, it crosses over the Artichoke River, right in between the Upper and Lower Reservoirs. The original Artichoke Bridge was built around 1855 by local farmer and stonemason Jonathan Corliss, and was replaced by a second stone bridge nearby in 1891. The rustic span has been a community favorite for generations.
When it was open, the bridge was full of activity. If the weather was good, it would often be filled with folks casting their fishing lines, going for walks, or simply stopping to take in the view. I have fond memories of fishing off the bridge with friends during my teenage years, walking the nearby trails, and occasionally heading down there to cavort with my fellow youth on an otherwise boring Saturday night in the mid-2000s.
Like so many things that we grow up with, we take them for granted. As I got older and engaged in much less cavorting, my trips down Middle Street became infrequent, and at some point they ended all together. I didn’t necessarily forget about the Artichoke Bridge; I suppose it lived in the recesses of my memory, only coming out every now and then when something was published in the paper or posted about on Facebook. A few years ago, I was reminded of its existence, and then quickly saddened to learn that the bridge had fallen into such disrepair that it would be need to be completely rebuilt.
I was reminded again of the Artichoke Bridge last month as I cataloged a large collection of picture postcards from the late 19th-early 20th century. There were several of the bridge, captivated my recall. A flood of memories came back and I admired the pictures (and former bridge), realizing that since its inception, the Artichoke Bridge has always been both functional and recreational. Cars and bikes and runners cross it, while pleasure seekers enjoy the sights, cast a fishing line, and revel in the beauty of the area. Though the dress and modes of transport have changed over the last century, the image here is not a far cry from what was happening at the bridge in 2008. As soon as the new Plummer Spring/Middle Street Bridge is finished, I am sure there will be a pile of folks out there repeating history (the good kind).
