SHEFFIELD-Great news! The Memphis & Charleston Railroad Bridge, in Sheffield — better known as the Old Railroad Bridge — is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
The National Park Service announced the bridge’s inclusion on the registry this past Friday.
The nomination process began around 2015 when Richard C. Sheridan, local historian & former TVA chemist, submitted a National Register documentation form to the Alabama Historical Commission. (To be considered for the National Register, nominations must pass a state-level review board before the National Park Service sees them.) The AHC commented on & made suggestions for revising the nomination draft. It also asked the MSNHA to get involved in the process for extra support.
For a while the project sat dormant, but the the bridge finally is listed on the National Register, and pages of historical context & geographical documentation are on file.
The MSNHA would like to thank the Old Railroad Bridge Company (ORBC) — owners and operators of the bridge structure today — for its help.
National Park Service Alliance of National Heritage Areas University of North Alabama Alabama Historical Commission.
Media Release/Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area
