“Tatonka! Tatonka! Tatonka! Tatonka!” rings in my ears. Today we explore the Dumbarton Bridge. You may also know it as the Q Street Bridge or even the Buffalo Bridge. This structure connects Georgetown and Dupont Circle high above Rock Creek Park.
Construction of the Dumbarton Bridge occurred between 1914 and 1915. Bridging these two neighborhoods proved challenging. City planners determined Dumbarton House posed a traffic problem. So, they moved the entire house 100 feet. This gave the Dumbarton Bridge its name.
The proposed sections of Q Street were misaligned on either side of the bridge. The solution was simpler than moving a house. The bridge got a curved roadway.
The Dumbarton Bridge’s most striking features are its four bison sculptures. They stand poised ready to charge. Alexander Phimister Proctor designed them. He also created the buffalo heads on Arlington Memorial Bridge. Plus, he designed the panthers on the Piney Branch Bridge. These bison watch over the neighborhood.
Around 1905, Georgetown residents wanted to reduce traffic on M Street. They also wanted easier travel to other neighborhoods. Rock Creek was the problem. One idea was to divert Rock Creek through a tunnel. The tunnel would run under 27th Street NW. Then they would fill Rock Creek’s bed and extend Georgetown streets.
Many Georgetown residents disliked Rock Creek. It was full of stagnant water and trash. Diverting the creek would cost $4.5 million. Building the Dumbarton Bridge was cheaper. Estimates ranged from $150,000 to $200,000. Diverting the creek would cost $1.3 million.
Another idea involved moving the Woodley Lane Bridge to Q Street. Engineers decided this was too expensive. The Woodley Lane Bridge was not available until its replacement was complete.
Congress approved funding for the Dumbarton Bridge in December 1910. Two months later, they appropriated $275,000 for construction. They also allocated $75,000 to condemn property. This included land west of Rock Creek used as a streetcar yard.
Glenn Brown designed the Dumbarton Bridge. Daniel B. Luten handled the engineering design. The Dumbarton Bridge shows the City Beautiful movement’s impact. It also shows the association of architects, engineers, and sculptors.
The architects studied bridges worldwide. They chose a Roman aqueduct and an Italian mountain bridge as models. They intended to set a precedent for city bridges. The bridge’s stone color evokes the warm tones of Spain and Italy.
The arches feature Native American head designs. Glenn Brown based these on a life mask of Sioux Chief Kicking Bear. The Smithsonian Institution holds this mask.
The curved design matches the section of Q Street in Dupont Circle. It sits slightly north of the section in Georgetown. To keep the street continuous within Georgetown, Dumbarton House was moved.
The District requested construction bids in June 1913. None of the four bids were within budget. The plans were modified to have five spans instead of seven to save costs. A.L. Guidone won the construction bid.
Alexander Phimister Proctor created the four buffalo sculptures. They were the largest cast in a single piece of bronze.
Construction began on March 14, 1914. It finished by October 1915. Grading and paving the roads took two more months.
The Dumbarton Bridge officially opened on December 24, 1915. It was then known as the Q Street Bridge. The Commissioners of the District of Columbia named it Dumbarton Bridge on June 5, 1916.
The name Dumbarton commemorates the tract of land where Georgetown was laid out. Ninian Beall received letters patent from the British crown for this land.
The Dumbarton Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 16, 1973.
As we stand here, the Dumbarton Bridge connects us to the past. It connects us to the visionaries who shaped this city. It blends art, engineering, and history into one monumental structure.