J. A. Britton

Joseph Albert Britton (1839–1929),^[1] most commonly known as J.A. Britton, was a builder of bridges in Indiana. He created many works that survive and are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.^[2][3]

Joseph Albert Britton
Born	1839 (1839) Rockville, Indiana
Died	1929 (aged 89–90)
Nationality	American
Occupation	Bridge builder

Biography

According to a Historic American Engineering Record record, Britton was born in 1839 near Rockville, Indiana.^[1] He learned carpentry from his father, but began his career as an attorney with a practice in Lawrence, Kansas.^[4] In 1879 he returned to Parke County and switched his focus to carpentry and bridgebuilding.^[4] After Britton's primary regional competitor J. J. Daniels retired in 1904, Britton was engaged to build most of the bridges in Parke County between 1904 and 1917.^[4]

Throughout his 33-year bridgebuilding career Britton built approximately 40 bridges in three Indiana counties: Parke, Putnam, and Vermillion.^[1]

Work credits

Cox Ford Bridge

Works (credit) include:

• Cox Ford Bridge, N of Rockville off US 41, Rockville, IN (Britton, J. A.), NRHP-listed^[3]
• Harry Evans Bridge, SE of Mecca off Old Greencastle Rd., Mecca, IN (Britton, J. A.), NRHP-listed^[3]
• Jeffries Ford Bridge, SW of Bridgeton, Bridgeton, IN (Britton, J. A.), NRHP-listed^[3]
• Leatherwood Station Bridge, E of Montezuma, Montezuma, IN (Britton, J. A.), NRHP-listed^[3]
• Lusk Home and Mill Site, Off IN 47 in Turkey Run State Park, Marshall, IN (Britton, J.A.), NRHP-listed^[3]
• Marshall Bridge, N of Rockville, Rockville, IN (Britton, J. A.), NRHP-listed^[3]
• McAllister Bridge, N of Bridgeton, Bridgeton, IN (Britton, J. A.), NRHP-listed^[3]

Narrows Bridge (Indiana)

• Narrows Bridge (Indiana), N of Rockville Off IN 47, Rockville, IN (Britton, J. A.), NRHP-listed^[3]
• Nevins Bridge, NW of Bridgeton, Bridgeton, IN (Britton, J. A. & Son), NRHP-listed^[3]
• Phillips Bridge, SE of Montezuma off US 36, Montezuma, IN (Britton, J. A.), NRHP-listed^[3]
• Sim Smith Bridge, SE of Montezuma off US 36, Montezuma, IN (Britton, J. A.), NRHP-listed^[3]
• State Sanitorium Bridge, E of Rockville off US 36, Rockville, IN (Britton, J. A.), NRHP-listed^[3]
• Thorpe Ford Bridge, SE of Mecca on Rosedale Catlin Rd., Mecca, IN (Britton, J. A.), NRHP-listed^[3]
• Zacke Cox Bridge, SE of Mecca off US 41, Mecca, IN (Britton, J. A.), NRHP-listed^[3]

Family

J. A. Britton's son, Eugene Britton, built the Bowsher Ford Covered Bridge, a single span Burr Arch truss covered bridge structure, in 1915.^[5][6] On February 18, 1909, Eugene Britton was elected a director of the newly formed National Reserve Bank of the City of New York.^[7]