Historic Harmar Bridge 

Written by Christiane Marshall

Harmar Bridge has a long history, and holds practical, sentimental and romantic value for many in this community. 

To the dismay of residents and shop owners in the Harmar neighborhood, the bridge will be closed down and turned on February 29, at 10:00 am. (The bridge has a unique feature that allows it to be turned.) 

In answer to questions about safety, Mayor Josh Schlicher said at a meeting of Main Street West tonight (Sunday, February 23), that a portion of the bridge will be removed to prevent people from climbing on it. It will be stored in hopes of a future restoration project. 

Some people walk to work across the bridge, and many at the meeting expressed that they find it a safer walk for pedestrians than the Putnam Street Bridge. There are safety issues with the Harmar bridge that are not traffic related, however. Due to the inconvenience presented by the closing, complimentary bus vouchers will be distributed to residents, and a bus schedule will be posted. 

There was a fruitful discussion about fundraising in order to pay for restoring the historic bridge. For now, individuals and groups can donate by either sending a check to the Marietta Community Foundation, designated to the Harmar Bridge fund — or donate online at Save Harmar Bridge.  You can also sign up for updates on that website. 

Councilman Geoff Schenkle encouraged us to do any kind of fundraising we can think of – bake sales, car washes, etc. If you have ideas, please comment on our facebook page! Also, Marietta and Beyond will be happy to promote any fundraising efforts to save the bridge! 

You can also help by sharing the Save the Harmar Bridge Facebook page. 

Christiane Marshall