Press Room

The following information is provided for organizations wishing to promote the High Bridge book and/or further describe the book. Questions about the book and/or requests for additional information should be directed to the Friends group. Please see our Contact Us web page.

(Book Description)

High Bridge: "The End of Our Fifteen Months' Labor"

The book chronicles the 1913-1914 construction of the Norfolk & Western railroad viaduct, High Bridge, near Farmville, Virginia, using 77 images from photographs created by Willis Vail, resident engineer for the N&W Railway, as originally recorded on 4x5-inch glass negatives. Image captions are based on Vail's own descriptions. This is the first time that these historic images have been gathered together in book form. This 96-page book presents readers with the exciting grandeur of early construction machinery and techniques, and provides a glimpse into the casual bravery and dedication of the men who built one of the most important bridges in America. The text describes the people, equipment, and methods used to build historic High Bridge in an easy to understand manner without being overly technical. Today, High Bridge stands as the centerpiece of Virginia's High Bridge Trail State Park, a 31-mile-long public trail created from the former railroad line.

"This book chronicles the construction of one of the most significant bridges on the N&W Railway. Photos of the project by Resident Engineer Willis Vail show each step in the construction of this engineering marvel. The text does a masterful job of describing construction methods and techniques used over 100 years ago without being overly technical."

- Ron Davis, President of the Norfolk & Western Historical Society

(Key Aspects of the Book)

About the Images

• This is the first time these images have appeared in book form on high-quality paper.
• Book includes 77 images taken from Willis Vail’s original 4x5-inch glass negatives, which were created in 1913-1914.
• Images include scratches, marks, discolorations and other imperfections resulting from the glass negatives’ 100+ years of existence.
• Images are printed in color to show the depth in each picture and the tonal variations of the original glass negatives resulting from Vail’s photo-development procedures.
• Color images of High Bridge and the Park as seen today are included in the back of the book.

About the Text

• Image captions are based on Vail’s photographic notes and his personal diary.
• Captions have been augmented to further describe pictures, clarify elements of photos, and explain engineering and/or railroad-specific terminology.
• Chapter commentary is provided to describe the workers, working conditions, engineering techniques, construction techniques and tools, and other pertinent information in a non-technical manner.
• Text includes a bibliography of Willis Vail, and a description of how Vail’s glass negatives were acquired by the Friends group.
• Text includes a reproduction of the 1914 Engineering News article describing construction of the bridge, using engineering terminology.

About the High Bridge Book Project

• The High Bridge book is copyrighted and published exclusively by the Friends group.
• The Friends of High Bridge Trail State Park (a.k.a., the Friends group) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
• All proceeds from retail, wholesale and online purchases received by the Friends group will be used to benefit High Bridge Trail State Park.
  • Informational note: Retail outlets selling the book retain any profits from their sales.
  • Informational note: The Heartland Visitors’ Center and the High Bridge Trail State Park souvenir trailer are selling the book on a consignment basis, and all proceeds will be used by the Friends group to benefit High Bridge Trail State Park.

(Objectives of the Friends group's High Bridge Book Project)

1. Capture the history of the construction of the 1914 steel bridge, the centerpiece of High Bridge Trail State Park.
2. Provide a more complete publication of the Vail images and associated documentation in a higher quality format than previously published.
3. Provide further awareness of High Bridge Trail State Park and its wealth of history.
4. Provide a fund-raising source for the Friends group to further support the Park.