How the Original 1831 London Bridge Crossed the Atlantic to Become a Lake Havasu, Arizona Attraction
In 1967, the Common Council of the City of London decided to replace the London Bridge that was built in 1831 that crossed the River Thames with a newer, wider version that would be more friendly to automobiles. So they put the old one up for sale. In 1968, American businessman Robert P. McCulloch placed the winning bid of $2,460,000. McCulloch was in the midst of building a planned community in Lake Havasu, Arizona and believed that this bridge would be an irresistible attraction. So the bridge was painstakingly disassembled on one side of the Atlantic Ocean and then carefully reassembled in the southwestern desert of the United States. The bridge and accompanying canal were completed in 1971 and subsequently became the attraction McCulloch had originally envisioned.
US businessman Robert P McCulloch bought London Bridge 50 years ago and moved it to the desert in Arizona. But why did he do it and what happened? The amazing story of how a Victorian bridge from London was shipped across the world and rebuilt in America.
The former 1831 London Bridge in modern day Lake Havasu, Arizona
View this post on InstagramRelated Laughing Squid PostsA post shared by Lake Havasu City CVB (@visitlakehavasucity) on Sep 6, 2018 at 9:22am PDT
- A History of London Bridges, Including the One in Arizona
- The Telectroscope, A Viewing Tunnel Between London & New York
- Futuristic and Fanciful Design Proposals for a Planned Pedestrian Bridge in London
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