ASHTABULA — More than 75 people gathered Thursday evening to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Ashtabula Lift Bridge.
The structure has been a centerpiece of the Harbor, drawing tourists to the area and providing a daily avenue of transportation for area residents for 100 years.
After several short speeches, those in attendance gathered on the north sidewalk of the bridge for a picture. They spread out across the bridge, then Ashtabula Police officers blocked traffic for several minutes while a picture of those in attendance was taken at the east side of the structure.
The Strauss bascule Lift Bridge is a National Historic Landmark, and is the last remaining single-leaf lift bridge on the Ohio state highway system, Ashtabula City Manager Jim Timonere said.
The bridge was built in 1925, was restored in 1986 and was closed for repairs for more than a year in 2008-09.
Toni Carlisle, representing the Lift Bridge Community Association, spoke of the importance of the bridge to local residents and tourists alike.
“This bridge means so much to Bridge Street,” she said.
Carlisle said it is amazing to watch tourists run toward the bridge with cell phones out to photograph it going up.
Two tourists happened to be at the bridge when the ceremony was going strong.
Helen and Lenny Filippone, of Massachusetts, were returning from a trip to Michigan and stopped by Ashtabula for the evening. They said they have traveled across the country numerous times and the the bridge was unique.
Carlisle said the committee is lucky to have people and organizations that stand up to help celebrate community history. She said the Robert S. Morrison Foundation was especially helpful in sponsoring the celebration, along with Iten Industries.
She said Bridge Street business owners wondered how they would survive when the bridge was closed for more than a year in 2008-09. She said the group came up with weekly events to draw people to the area, and ultimately survived.
Timonere said it is amazing the bridge is pretty much the same structure as when it was built 100 years ago. He credited the county and state for making the maintenance happen.
Brian Hubbard, a board member of the Ashtabula Maritime and Surface Transportation Museum, said he grew up in the Harbor, and it is an important part of the fabric of the community.
“It is a big part of the community. It is one of the landmarks everybody [local] knows,” he said.