Neshanic Station Bridge

This Neshanic Station Bridge, also known as Elm Street Bridge, has been on my to-do list for several years. Whenever I visit my brother-in-law in Annandale or stop at Conclave Brewing for a pint, I route through Hillsborough and Neshanic Station. On this occasion, I was returning from completing a photo project. I had spent the morning photographing from the south branch of the Raritan River in Clinton Township.

Neshanic Station is an unincorporated community within Branchburg Township in Somerset County, New Jersey. Notably, in 2016, a significant portion of the village was recognised for its historical value and added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Neshanic Station Historic District. On the drive out to Clinton, I slowed down, paid attention to potential parking places, and made a mental note to stop on the way back.

When I started my return drive home, the sun was lower in the sky. I parked on the shoulder of the road on the eastern side of the Raritan River. I could easily see the banks of the River. I grabbed my camera and tripod and went to the river bank through the brush. The snow or ice had melted, and the ground was muddy and slippery. I slid down to the river bank. I almost slide right in. My shoes were full of chunks of mud, but I set up my tripod and grabbed a few shots from a few locations.

Neshanic Station Bridge, Branchburg Township, Somerset County, New Jersey — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, f/10, ISO200), Copyright 2019-01-26 Khürt L. Williams

So what do I know about this bridge? I gathered from various online sources that The Elm Street Bridge, also known as the Neshanic Station Bridge, is a lenticular truss bridge that carries Elm Street (Somerset County Route 667) over the river out of the community to River Road. Because of the length of the Raritan River, there are quite a few towns in New Jersey with a River Road.

Constructed in 1896 by the renowned Berlin Iron Bridge Company of East Berlin, Connecticut, this bridge comprises two spans and spans a length of 285 feet. Even after over a century, the Elm Street Bridge remains true to its original design and maintains its historical significance. In 2007, Somerset County undertook a rehabilitation project to ensure the preservation and maintenance of this historic structure.

Brooklyn Bridge

From DUMBO, we rushed over to the Brooklyn Bridge to walk along the pedestrian path. The scene here was similar to our experience at DUMBO. It was the golden hour, and people were everywhere, walking and using the magic of the light to take selfies and group photos on the bridge. It was too crowded for the tripod. I was worried that someone would trip over the legs. I switched to shooting handheld. I focused on capturing the vibe on the bridge with families and friends enjoying the view.

Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964, the Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge that spans the East River and connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. With a length of 1,825.4 m, the bridge is one of the oldest roadway bridges in the United States and was the world's first steel-wire suspension bridge and the first fixed crossing across the East River. Designed by German immigrant John Augustus Roebling, the bridge opened on May 24, 1883, over 135 years ago! The bridge has six lanes of roadway with pedestrians and bicycle pathways.

Brooklyn Bridge · FujiFilm X-T2 · Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR
Brooklyn Bridge · FujiFilm X-T2 · Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR
Brooklyn Bridge · FujiFilm X-T2 · Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR
Brooklyn Bridge · FujiFilm X-T2 · Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR
Brooklyn Bridge · FujiFilm X-T2 · Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR
Brooklyn Bridge — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (34.2 mm, f/8.0, ISO250), Copyright 2019-01-12 Khürt L. Williams
Brooklyn Bridge — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (25.7 mm, f/8.0, ISO250), Copyright 2019-01-12 Khürt L. Williams
Brooklyn Bridge — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (55 mm, f/8.0, ISO200), Copyright 2019-01-12 Khürt L. Williams

As the sun waned, we returned to Brooklyn Bridge Park for photos of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. I scrambled down the ice rocks to the beach. I slipped a few times. I struggled a bit to find focus in low light near the beach. I was tired, and so were my eyes. I did my best with the focus-peaking feature of the Fuji X-T2.

I have photographed these two bridges before, so I captured a few long-exposure images and called it a night. I made my way, slowly and carefully, back to the park and ventured indoors for a cup of camomile tea. It was a great day. We piled into Loren's white van, and Loren drove back through Manhattan to Penn Station and Grand Central Station to drop off the Connecticut members of our group. Then, it was time for the drive back to Bridgewater.

The Brooklyn Bridge and Jane's Carousel — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, f/22, ISO200), Copyright 2019-01-12 Khürt L. Williams
Manhattan Bridge — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, f/2.8, ISO200), Copyright 2019-01-12 Khürt L. Williams

DUMBO

The next stop on the New York City Bridges photography tour was the area Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass, also nicknamed DUMBO. Despite the cold, the streets were packed with people, most of whom seemed to be taking photos of the Empire State Building framed by one of the Manhattan Bridge towers, which is exactly what we were there to do. After over thirty years of living in the New York1 and New Jersey area, I have finally become a tourist.


  1. When we first immigrated to the United States, we lived in East Elmhurst, Queens, near Flushing.