piece of history | Bever Park stone bridge

This month's Piece of History is a photograph of the old stone bridge in Bever Park in southeast Cedar Rapids.

The photograph was taken in 1909 by famed local photographer William Baylis and is part of The History Center's collection.

November is Historic Bridge Awareness Month, which encourages the preservation of historic bridges while also acknowledging the many that have been lost.

The Bever Park stone bridge originally carried carriages and automobiles before being limited to pedestrians. Then the bridge deck began deteriorating, and the city eventually closed it to pedestrians.

The city briefly considered removing it, but the public prevailed on the city in 2017 to reconsider.

It will take an estimated $165,000 to restore the bridge, according to the city, which has committed to covering 25 percent of the cost. The Friends of Cedar Rapids Historic Preservation is beginning a fund drive to raise the remainder.

' Jami Roskamp is curator and education coordinator at The History Center.