Arts & Entertainment
Rockland Public Art Dedication on October 5
Solar-powered light installation to be illuminated at the historic Sparkill Creek Drawbridge in Piermont
The Rockland County Art in Public Places Committee is pleased to announce the dedication of its 41st countywide project -- a permanent, solar-powered light installation at the Sparkill Creek Drawbridge in Piermont.
A dedication ceremony, with remarks by Rockland County Executive Ed Day and historian Richard Esnard of the Piermont Historical Society, will take place on Friday, October 5, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. at the bridge site.
Located between Ferdon and Piermont Avenues directly behind the Piermont Post Office, the Sparkill Creek Drawbridge, a single-leaf manually operated metal bridge, was built in 1880 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Boaters and fishermen traveling the Sparkill Creek would crank up the bridge on their own, using a lifting mechanism first used in the Middle Ages. Although the bridge was disassembled and restored to its original appearance in 2009, it now serves solely as a pedestrian walkway and gathering place.
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This unique historic structure will be illuminated with LED lights, designed by the award-winning architectural lighting firm Kugler Ning Lighting. The bridge's two vertical towers and horizontal railings have been lit from below to accentuate the intricate truss work of the structure.
Mounted near to the bridge, five solar panels and associated storage batteries were designed to optimize the amount of solar energy produced each day. Throughout the year, the bridge will be lit between sunset and 10:30 p.m. Funding for the solar installation has been provided by the Green Mountain Energy Sun Club.
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Accompanying the light installation will be two specially designed forged-metal and wood benches by artist/blacksmith James Garvey. Placed in the center of the bridge to complement the existing seating, these artworks feature Garvey's signature lariat design.
The Piermont Civic Association, the Piermont Historical Society, the Piermont Chamber of Commerce, the Village of Piermont Board, the Piermont Department of Public Works, the Piermont Parks Commission and the Rockland County Highway Department have provided additional support for this project.
Photographs by Betsy Franco Feeney.