Magnificent, secluded stone bridges of exceptional craftsmanship, the Keystone Arch Bridges are the oldest of their kind built for railroad use in the United States. These 70-foot high bridges, located in Middlefield, Becket and Chester, were built between 1833 and 1841 without mortar or steel reinforcements and stand as impressive testimony to the engineering feats of the period. Major George Washington Whistler (father of the artist James McNeill Whistler) and William Gibbs McNeill were the chief engineers responsible for designing the bridges, referred to by some as “American cathedrals.” The bridges are a physical reminder of the evolution of the region and the extension of transportation routes westward.
Parking area at Herbert Cross and Middlefield Roads
Chester, MA 01011