HomeMy WebLinkAboutHawaii Register Nomination _ NanueStreamBridge SIHP Number: 50-10-16-09090
NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places
Registration Form
This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin,How
to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented. enter"N/A"for
"not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the
instructions. Place additional certification comments, entries,and narrative items on continuation sheets(NPS Form 10-900a).
1. Name of Property
Historic name NANUE STREAM BRIDGE
Other names/site number Nanue Bridge (structure number 001000190308146)
2. Location
street & number 1.66 miles W of Kauniho Road on FAP 19 ❑ not for publication
city of town Honohina (T MK 3-3-2-01) ❑ vicinity
State Hawai`i code HI county Hawaii code 001 zip code
3. State/Federal Agency Certification
As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended,
I hereby certify that this nomination request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards
for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional
requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60.
In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this
property be considered significant at the following level(s) of significance:
national _statewide local
certifying of
Si natureofficial Date
9
Title State or Federal agency and bureau
In my opinion,the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria.
Signature of commenting official Date
Title State or Federal agency and bureau
4. National Park Service Certification
I.hereby.certify that this property is: Signature of the Keeper Date of Action
entered in the National Register
determined eligible for the National Register
determined not eligible for the National Register
removed from the National Register
—other(explain:)
NANUE STREAM BRIDGE Hawaii County, Hawaii
Name of Property County and State
5. Classification
Ownership of Property Category of Property Number of Resources within Property
(Check as many boxes as apply) (Check only one box) (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.)
Contributing Noncontributing
private _ building(s) 0 0 buildings
public- Local district 0 0 sites
x public- State site 1 0 structures
public- Federal x structure 0 0 Objects
private building(s) 0 0 buildings
I object 0 0 Total
Name of related multiple property listing Number of contributing resources previously
(Enter"N/A"if property is not part of a multiple property listing) listed in the National Register
Steel Trestle Bridges on the Hamakua Coast
6. Function or Use
Historic Functions Current Functions
(Enter categories from instructions) (Enter categories from instructions)
TRANSPORTATION: road-related (vehicular) TRANSPORTATION: road-related (vehicular)
7. Description
Architectural Classification Materials
(Enter categories from instructions) (Enter categories from instructions)
OTHER: Steel girder and trestle bridge foundation: N/A
walls: N/A
roof: N/A
other: METAL
NANUE STREAM BRIDGE Hawaii County, Hawaii
Name of Property County and State
Narrative Description
(Describe the historic and current physical appearance of the property. Explain contributing and noncontributing
resources if necessary. Begin with a summary paragraph that briefly describes the general characteristics of the
property, such as its location, setting, size,and significant features.)
Summary Paragraph
Nanue Stream Bridge is a steel girder and trestle bridge with a total length of 531 feet and a roadway width of
28 feet. It is built at the deck elevation of 286' over Nanue Stream along the Hamakua Coast on the Island of
Hawaii. Nanue Stream Bridge is the tallest bridge on the Island of Hawai'i. The rural setting of the site has
been unchanged. The superstructure is composed of a concrete deck on steel girder and the substructure is
composed of c. 1912 steel railroad trestle supports with masonry (lava-rock) abutments. Open horizontal
concrete rail and cap are placed as parapets.
Narrative Description
The Nanue Stream Bridge carries the Hawaii Belt Road (FAP 19) over Nanue Stream along the Hamakua
Coast of the Island of Hawaii. The present highway bridge was reconstructed from older railroad trestle and
girder spans. In 1911, fourteen steel trestle girder bridges were erected along the Hamakua Coast to support
railroad tracks for the Hilo Railroad Company.' All of the rail bridges along the line were devastated by the
tsunami of 1946, and nine of the steel trestle bridges were disassembled and sold as scrap.2 The remaining five
bridges (Hakalau, Nanue, PAhe'ehe'e, Umauma, and Kapue) were retained and reconstructed as territorial
highway bridges between 1950-53.
The bridge remains in its original location; however, the Hawaii Belt Road, the primary transportation artery
for the island, was re-routed in the early 1950s in order to utilize the abandoned railroad alignment. The setting
has experienced little change. In 1953, the bridge was widened for use as a highway bridge with members from
the disassembled railroad bridges. The reconstruction follows the original trestle design, however bolted rather
than riveted connections were utilized. A concrete deck, sidewalks and rail were added to facilitate automobile
and pedestrian traffic. The integrity of the original substructure remains intact, and is a remainder of the only
standard-gauge railroad constructed in the islands. The bridge's substructure can be viewed from the old
Mamalahoa Highway which runs under the highway bridge. The bridge's historic associations are readily
apparent to all observers; the bridge retains its historic feeling due to its unusual construction type.
Interpretation is aided by the presence of a plaque on the substructure of which reads:
Hamilton& Chambers
Contractors
for Steel Structure
New York, U.S.A.
1912
Nanue Stream Bridge has recently undergone seismic retrofit modifications. The project included addition of
hinge restrainers, seat extenders at hinges and abutments, longitudinal concrete edge beams on each side of the
deck, and the upgrade of the pier footings.
1 Patricia Alvarez,"A History of Road and Bridge Development on the Island of Hawaii"in Historic Bridge Inventory and Evaluation:Island of Hawaii,prepared
for the State of Hawaii,Department of Transportation,Highways Division in cooperation with the U.S.Department of Transportation,Federal Highways
Administration,(Honolulu,1987a),50.
2
Ibid.
NANUE STREAM BRIDGE Hawaii County, Hawaii
Name of Property County and State
8. Statement of Significance
Applicable National Register Criteria Areas of Significance
(Mark"x"in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property (Enter categories from instructions)
for National Register listing)
ENGINEERING
X A Property is associated with events that have made a TRANSPORTATION
significant contribution to the broad patterns of our —
history.
X B Property is associated with the lives of persons
significant in our past.
X C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics
of a type, period, or method of construction or
represents the work of a master, or possesses high Period of Significance
artistic values, or represents a significant
and distinguishable entity whose components lack 1912
individual distinction.
1952
D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information
important in prehistory or history. Significant Dates
1912
1952
Criteria Considerations
(Mark"x"in all the boxes that apply)
Significant Person
Property is: (Complete only if Criterion B is marked above)
Dillingham, Benjamin
owed by a religious institution or used for religious Thurston, Lorrin
A purposes. Robinson, Mark
B removed from its original location.
Cultural Affiliation
C a birthplace or grave. N/A
D a cemetery.
X E a reconstructed building. object, or structure.
Architect/Builder
F a commemorative property. Young, John Mason
G less than 50 years old or achieving significance Bartels, William R.
within the past 50 years.
Period of Significance (justification)
The Nanue Stream Bridge was built in 1911 during the railroad's second phase of construction. In 1952, the
Territorial Highway Department, under the direction of William R. Bartels, reconstructed Nanue Stream Bridge
as a part of the Hawaii Belt Road (FAP 19) utilizing members from segments of the demolished railroad
bridges.
Criteria Consideratons (explanation, if necessary)
NANUE STREAM BRIDGE Hawaii County, Hawaii
Name of Property County and State
Statement of Significance Summary Paragraph (provide a summary paragraph that includes level of signficance and
applicable criteria)
The Nanue Stream Bridge is significant under Criteria A, B, and C,. Criterion A is applicable for the bridge's
association with the Hilo Railroad Company. Criterion B is applicable for the bridge's association with three
founders of the Hilo Railroad Company. Criterion C is applicable since the bridge is a representative example of
early twentieth-century engineering technology.
Narrative Statement of Significance (provide at least one paragraph for each area of significance)
Criterion A
The bridge is eligible under Criterion A for its associations with the Hilo Railroad Company, later called the
Hawaii Consolidated Railway, which played a major role in the development of the Hilo and the Hamakua
Coast by providing transportation to the harbor for the islands' sugar production. The railroad and its numerous
bridges together have been called the "greatest engineering feat in Hawaii.i3 Another commentator noted that
the completion of the railroad marked nothing less than "an era in the development of the Islands."4
Criterion B
The bridge is eligible under Criterion B for its association with figures significant in the history of the Hawaiian
Islands: the Hilo Railroad Company founders-Benjamin Dillingham, Lorrin Thurston, and Mark Robinson.
Benjamin Dillingham was a noted businessman who drew up plans for a large sugar mill at 'Ola'a, eight miles
south of Hilo in the previously uncultivated Puna district. Lorrin Thurston was the Minister to Washington
during the Republic of Hawaii and a former Interior Minister under the monarchy. Mark Robinson worked as
the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Queen Liliuokalani.5
Criterion C
The bridge is eligible under Criterion C as a representative example of early twentieth-century engineering
technology. The bridge is a rare remaining example of steel girder and trestle construction and was, for many
years, the one of the tallest bridges in the state. The bridge represents the "work of a master": John Mason
Young, designer of the original railroad line and bridges; as well as William R. Bartels, of the Territorial
Highway Department, who engineered their conversion from railroad to highway use in the 1950s. The
structure provides information regarding the only standard gauge railway in the islands.
Developmental history/additional historic context information (if appropriate)
The Nanue Stream Bridge was built in 1911 during the railroad's second phase of construction. The
specifications and design of the'bridge were drawn up by John Mason Young, the founder of Pacific
Engineering Company of Honolulu and a pioneer faculty member of the College of Agriculture and Mechanic
Arts (later the University
3
Paradise of the Pacific,(December 1924): 14.
4
Thomas Thrum,Hawaiian Almanac and Annual(Honolulu:Hawaiian Gazette Company,1914),142.
5
Gerald M.Best,Railroads of Hawaii(San Marino,California:Golden West Books,1978),123-124
NANUE STREAM BRIDGE Hawaii County, Hawaii
Name of Property County and State
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet
NANUE STREAM BRIDGE
Hawai'i County,Hawai'i
Historic Concrete and Steel Trestle Bridges along
Hamakua Coast on the Island of Hawaii
Section number 8 Page 1
of Hawai`i). Young had been involved in steel bridge design and construction on mainland railroads before
coming to Hawai`i.6 The bridge's components were ordered from the New York firm of Hamilton and
Chambers (who also fabricated the steel for the Hanalei River Bridge on Kauai the same year). It was erected
by W.W. Beers, described by the Hilo Tribune as a New York engineer.?
Nanue was one of the most impressive bridges built by the Hilo Railroad. At 207 feet tall, the Nanue Stream
Bridge was the tallest bridge on the line, 30 feet taller than the bridge over the Hakalau Stream. After a higher
bridge at Maliko Gulch on Maui was demolished in 1967,8 the Nanue Stream Bridge became the tallest in the
state.9
In 1952, the Territorial Highway Department, under the direction of William R. Bartels reconstructed Nanue
Stream Bridge utilizing members from the railroad bridge. Bartels was responsible for the design of all major
territorial bridge projects between 1932 and his retirement from the department in 1956.10 His work
characteristically utilized the latest technology and involved a high degree of engineering complexity.
Nonetheless, his bridges evidence a refined aesthetic sensibility which makes them distinctive from the works
of other engineers.
6
John William Siddall,Men of Hawaii(Territory of Hawaii:Honolulu Star Bulletin,1921),451;and George Nellist,Men of Hawaii,(Honolulu,1935),487-488.
7
Hilo Tribune,(11 April 1911):3.
8
Hilo Tribune,(11 April 1911):3.
9 Alvarez(1987b),134.
10
Patricia Alvarez,"A History of Road and Bridge Development on the Island of Hawaii"in Historic Bridge Inventory and Evaluation:Island of Hawaii,Prepared
for the State of Hawaii,Department of Transportation,Highways Division in cooperation with the U.S.Department of Transportation,Federal Highways
Administration(Honolulu,1987a),72.
NANUE STREAM BRIDGE Hawai'i County, Hawaii
Name of Property County and State
9. Major Bibliographical References
Bibliography(Cite the books,articles,and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets)
See Continuation Sheet.
Previous documentation on file(NPS): Primary location of additional data:
preliminary determination of individual listing(36 CFR 67 has been State Historic Preservation Office
requested x Other State agency
previously listed in the National Register Federal agency
previously determined eligible by the National Register Local government
designated a National Historic Landmark University
recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey # Other
recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # Name of repository:
Historic Resources Survey Number(if assigned):
10. Geographical Data
Acreage of Property Less than one acre.
(Do not include previously listed resource acreage)
UTM References
(Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet)
1 5 274299 2204895 3
Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing
2 4
Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing
Verbal Boundary Description (describe the boundaries of the property)
The nominated property is a rectangular shaped parcel measuring 531 feet by 28 feet, which is centered on the UTM
point listed above. Included within this parcel are the bridge's superstructure, substructure, floor system, and approach
spans.
Boundary Justification (explain why the boundaries were selected)
The nominated structure includes the bridge's superstructure, substructure, floor system and appropriate spans and the
property upon which they rest. These boundaries encompass, but do not exceed, all of the property that has been
historically associated with this bridge.
11. Form Prepared By
name/title Spencer Leineweber, FAIA Professor
organization Heritage Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa date
street & number 2410 Campus Road telephone (808) 956-4704
city or town Honolulu state HI zip code 96822
e-mail aspencer@hawaii.edu
NANUE STREAM BRIDGE Hawaii County, Hawaii
Name of Property County and State
Additional Documentation
Submit the following items with the completed form:
• Maps: A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location.
A Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Key all
photographs to this map.
• Continuation Sheets
• Additional items: (Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items)
Photographs:
Submit clear and descriptive black and white photographs. The size of each image must be 1600x1200 pixels at 300 ppi
(pixels per inch) or larger. Key all photographs to the sketch map.
Name of Property: Nanue Stream Bridge
City or Vicinity: Honohina
County: Hawaii State: Hawaii
Photographer: Spencer Leineweber, FAIA/Professor
Date Photographed: June 2009
Description of Photograph(s) and number:
Photo #1: Name
Photo#2: Approach
Photo #3: Structure
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate
properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties,and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a
benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act.as amended(16 U.S.C.460 et seq.).
Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18 hours per response including time for reviewing
instructions,gathering and maintaining data.and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of
this form to the Chief.Administrative Services Division,National Park Service,PO Box 37127.Washington, DC 20013-7127;and the Office of
Management and Budget,Paperwork Reductions Project(1024-0018),Washington,DC 20503.
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