05/27/2026
The Bridge That Love Built
Ball’s Bridge is a unique treasure. The structure is an excellent example of a two-span Pratt design through truss, pin-connected wrought iron bridge. Its construction shows attention to detail through the ‘v-lacing’ located at various points on the bridge. Pin-connected truss bridges were a common design during the late 1800s and early 1900s fading away as new building techniques were developed. They have become very rare today, especially in Ontario, moreover, the 1885 construction date sets it among the oldest wrought iron Pratt truss bridges in the U.S. and Canada. It served as a major crossing point on the Maitland River until 1989, when the bridge was deemed unable to support the weight of modern vehicles. In 2006, it was closed to all traffic and faced a bleak future. Due to the dedicated efforts of the Friends of Ball's Bridge, it was fully restored and upgraded, reopening to light traffic in 2007.
I am part way through my $10k goal to raise money to pay our experts through the 6 year fight Friends of Ball's Bridge & Little Lakes -Fobbll has undergone to mitigate protection for this precious area. The price we paid was high but the price we would have paid to not have a say in the future would have been even higher.
Choose from the colour or sepia version for only $100.
https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/friends-of-balls-bridge-and-little-lakes-fobblls-shop?fbclid=IwY2xjawSDv9FleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFZeXJRdm03T214M0RRT3VSc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkJGNPiVuv8L-5j5kyeB91-ZQO20QsSrbJG7-hLy9OpQWtlu94027FXQdjHq_aem_8xgDgJv_fzZWXjBjOhQ8Rw
