Historic Ely’s Stone Bridge update

To the Editor,

   It has been almost 200 years since the late 1820s when Reuben Ely came from Bucks County, Pa., to Monticello Township in Jones County, Iowa. (This is now Lovell Township.) Sixty-seven years after Reuben and his family came to Iowa, he and his son, Reuben Ely, Jr., built a stone bridge northwest of Monticello. The bridge was built over Wet Creek – also known as Deer Creek.

   The bridge, built in 1893, boasts three elliptical arches and two piers. It is made of stone from the stream bed and nearby quarries; and it requires lime-based soft mortar. The bridge is 20 feet wide and 90 feet long with a short abutment section at each end. It has been said that there is “none like it” because it is a “personal expression.” Ely’s Stone Bridge is “one of a kind.”

   Generations of the Ely (Bader) family did maintenance work on the bridge for many years, with tuck appointing, etc. On March 7, 1979, Ely’s Stone Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

   Unfortunately, in 2004, a concrete deck was constructed over the bridge. This concentrated the rain water down into the stone façade. The stone arches are generally intact; however, the side walls are badly deteriorated. The bridge is now permanently closed to vehicle traffic.

   The Jones County Historic Preservation Commission has been put in charge of preserving the bridge. Upon restoration, the hope is to reopen the bridge to pedestrian and bicycle traffic with interpretive signage to create a point of interest that will attract visitors to Jones County.

   The Commission is working with Axiom Consultants from Iowa City to design and coordinate this project, but restoration doesn’t come cheap. Our efforts at grant-writing have not been successful so we are reaching out to the public for ideas and input on fundraising. We are assuming that there is still interest within our county to restore this uniquely rare and historic county landmark. Therefore, we plan to have an open meeting for anyone interested in this project. The meeting will be held in the VFW Hall on Tuesday, May 13, at 7 p.m. The address is 220 E. First St., Monticello. A representative from Axiom Consultants will be present to explain the project and to answer questions. The Jones County Historic Preservation Commission will be available for questions and conversation.

   We look forward to seeing you on May 13 at 7 p.m. for an informative meeting regarding the restoration of Ely’s Stone Bridge. For questions concerning the meeting, you may call Joyce at 563-488-3804.

Sincerely,

Jones County Historic

Preservation Commission

Joyce Fishwild, secretary