May 14th, 2001
Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts
Upon researching the area before I actually arrived. This bridge became an interest to me - I'd never heard of a "Bridge of Flowers." Later I found out that it had been abandoned by the trolley line in 1928.
The town brags that the bridge is "the only one of its kind in the world,"
In 1929, the bridge was purchased by the Shelburne Falls Fire District since it carried water mains across the river and, at the impetus of town residents Walter Burnham and his wife, a fundraising drive was launched to turn the bridge into a beautiful garden pathway.
The bridge was originally constructed in 1908 to carry trolley tracks 400 feet across the Deerfield River. When trolley service ended in 1928, the bridge was neglected and soon became an eyesore.
A local businesswoman and Woman's Club member, Gertrude Newall, was named the bridge's first "gardener," a post she held for 30 years.
In 1983, the bridge underwent a massive half-million-dollar renovation to ensure its continued longevity.
Today, the Bridge of Flowers is maintained by a paid gardener and assistant and volunteers from the Committee and the Woman's Club. About 15,000 people stroll its blooming expanse each year, and care is taken to ensure that from the time the tulips pop up in April until the mums mark the end of New England's fall flowering season that something spectacular is always in bloom.
Plants are identifiable by markers.
Memorial gifts and donations are the main income for maintaining the bridge - don't forget to add something to the "birdcages" at either end of the bridge!
