Washington Heights & Inwood Online

The Macomb’s Dam Bridge and the 155th Street Viaduct have been connected not only with the Harlem River but with baseball history. It was designated a landmark by the New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission on January 14, 1992. The bridge is the city’s third oldest and was constructed between 1890 and 1895.

The bridge and viaduct were designed by Alfred Pancoast Boller who was under contract with the Department of Parks and Public Works. When the bridge was opened to vehicular and pedestrian traffic in 1895, it was hailed as a structural marvel. The central swing span, which was constructed in 1939, is the world’s heaviest moveable mass. The length of the bridge and viaduct, about 4,000 feet, make it the longest single landmark in the city.

The bridge was named for the Macomb family who owned property on both sides of the Harlem River. The family’s origins are from a town called Dunturkey, a small town in Antrim County, Ireland. Alexander Macomb purchased land on the Manhattan side of the Harlem River in 1787. He had achieved the rank of Major-General during the War of 1812. Eventually, land on the Bronx side was added to the property. Macomb’s Place, which runs in a northeasterly direction from Frederick Douglas Boulevard to the Harlem River between 149th and 155th Streets, was named for the family.

In 1800 a dam was erected by Robert Macomb to utilize the tidal flow of the Harlem River for a grist mill located at 161st and Jerome Avenue in the Bronx. Almost four decades later (1838) neighbors angrily dismantled the bridge to open the Harlem River for shipping. The grist mill eventually fell into disrepair and collapsed.

For a period of time, the bridge was used for the elevated trains. The Ninth Avenue Elevated was organized on December 11, 1852. By 1871 the line started at Bowling Green, headed north on Hudson Street to Ninth (now known as Columbus) Avenue to 110th Street east to Eighth Avenue and then north to the Polo Grounds, which was the northern terminus. Seven years later the line was extended into the Bronx.

The storage yards, repair shop and tracks were immediately north of the Polo Grounds. These trains would eventually become incorporated into the “B” and “D” lines of the Independent (IND) Line of the New York City Subways.

To a lot of old-time New Yorkers it is known as the “baseball bridge” because the Polo Grounds were on the Manhattan side and Yankee Stadium was on the Bronx side. The Polo Grounds, located in the shadow of Coogan’s Bluff on 155th Street and Eighth Avenue, was home to the New York Giants from 1899 to 1957. Because of its location to the west side of the stadium, Coogan’s Bluff had become the place for those who wanted to see the Giants play without having to pay for seats.

The New York Yankees played at the Polo Grounds from 1913 to 1923, when the team was purchased by Colonel Jacob Ruppert. Ruppert was in the beer business and needed an outlet to sell. The Yankees moved into their new home in the Bronx in April 1923. Over the next 28 years, the Yankees and the Giants played four World Series Championships against each other.

The New York Mets played at the Polo Grounds during the team’s first two years of play before they moved into Shea Stadium in 1964. After an eventful career, the Polo Grounds was razed for a housing project that would bear the name of the stadium.

The term “Subway Series” was named for the games that were played between the New York teams. Unfortunately there was no direct subway service that directly linked the two ball fields. Ticket holders who lived near each stadium would only have to cross the Viaduct and Bridge to get to the other stadium depending on the game.

For more information on the Polo Grounds and other famous ball parks log on to www.baseball-almanac.com and www.ballparks.com. For information on the 155th Street bridge and the other bridges of the Harlem River log onto www.transalt.org. For more information on the New York City Subways log onto www.nycsubway.org or www.mta.info.