History of Barrington Hills

History - Bridges of Barrington Hills

Historical Perspective: Administrator Robert Kosin
Photography and Technical Support: Engineer Dan Strahan

The Barrington area was first settled in the 1830s as a farming community, with the Village of Barrington incorporating in 1865. From its inception Barrington Hills has been a Home Rule Community. One of the responsibilities of the Board of Trustees is the management of the village designated infrastructure. The Roads and Bridges Commission of Barrington Hills is active each year in maintaining and repairing village designated roads, bridges, and culverts for the residents.

Barrington Hills historically by practice has referred to the following structures as "bridges" on village maintained public roads. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) defines a bridge by length of span, and in accordance with that definition, only two would be so classified. But practice and local lore has prevailed to refer to them all as the "Bridges of Barrington Hills."

The "Bridges of Barrington Hills" include:

1. Porter Bridge over Flint Creek at Oak Knoll Road near Ridge Road.
2. Hart Hills Bridge over Flint Creek at Old Hart Road.
3. Green Rail Bridge over Flint Creek at Oak Knoll Road near the Barrington Hills Country Club Golf Course.
4. Cuba Road Bridge over Flint Creek at Cuba Road.
5. Klein Bridge over Meadow Lake Tributary at Meadowhill Road.
6. Rock Ridge Culvert over Spring Creek at Rock Ridge Road.
7. Spring Creek Crossing, the Algonquin Road Culvert at an unnamed tributary to Spring Creek, just west of Braeburn Road. This culvert was replaced in the summer of 2008.

Porter Bridge over Flint Creek - 1926

The Barrington Hills bridge with the most history is the Lorenzo R. Porter Bridge, so named for the plaque referencing its construction. While not a bridge in terms of the definition requirements of the state trans portion authority, it has been called such since its construction in 1926.

Lorenzo R. Porter was the Cuba Township Highway Superintendent under whose tenure the wooden plank crossings of Flint Creek were replaced with poured in place concrete. Though he was no longer serving in that capacity when the bridge was constructed, his family name was affixed to it.

The photo below is taken from the south side of the bridge with Flint Creek flowing to the north where at the original plank crossing existed. All evidence of the wooden bridge was removed by the Flood of 1987.

Historic Porter Bridge - Flint Creek at Oak Knoll Road. near Ridge Road - photo courtesy of Engineer Dan Strahan

The family name has a greater contemporary association through his wife Hattie (Brown) Porter for whom the Cuba Township school was named respecting the teaching standards she cultivated and the influence on several generations of Barrington countryside families. Her own family notoriety extends to her father, Joseph Putnum Brown who is attributed to being if not the builder, then the first occupant of the Octagon House in Barrington. Hattie spent her childhood in that house until she received her teaching certificate and the remaining years teaching and raising a family out at Porter Farm, an area today along the west side of Buckley Road between Oak Knoll Road and Merri-Oaks Road.

Hart Hills Bridge over Flint Creek

Green Rail Bridge over Flint Creek

Cuba Road Bridge over Flint Creek

Klein Bridge over Meadow Lake Tributary

Klein Bridge over Meadow Lake Tributary at Meadowhill Road - photo courtesy of Engineer Dan Strahan

Rock Ridge Road Culvert over Spring Creek

Rock Ridge Culvert over Spring Creek at Rock Ridge Road - photo courtesy of Engineer Dan Strahan

Spring Creek Crossing, the Algonquin Road Culvert - at a tributary

Spring Creek Crossing, the Algonquin Road Culvert at an unnamed tributary to Spring Creek, just west of Braeburn Road.
This culvert was replaced in the summer of 2008 - photo courtesy of Engineer Dan Strahan