| Address | 1440 W. Cortland Street, Chicago, IL |
|---|---|
| Built | 1902 |
| Architect | John Ernst Ericson |
| Status | Designated Chicago Landmark |
| Designation Date | July 24, 1991 (Final)City Council Journal of the Proceedings, p. 3839 |
| Neighborhood | Logan Square |
| Type | Bridge |
| Landmark ID | L-76 |
Direct quotes from the Chicago Landmark Designation Report
“So identified with the city is the trunnion bascule bridge that it is known internationally as the "Chicago style." Equally, so important was the impact of this bridge on urban transportation that the Cortland Street Drawbridge in 1982 was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers.”
“At the awards ceremony, John H. Wiedman, President-Elect of the society, spoke of what constitutes a civil engineering landmark. He stated that "sheer size, technical complexity, or construction quality are not sufficient in themselves to warrant a landmark designation.”
“The earliest movable bridge in Chicago was a drawbridge, built at Dearbom Street in 1834. It was made of timber, with two movable leaves that were lifted with chains.”