London Bridge In The Arizona Desert?

Hi Bill.

Thanks for posting this interesting piece.
I remember this well, and as I recall,
didn't this guy think he had bought the
more famous 'Tower Bridge??

Here's a piece courtesy of Wikipedia

On 18 April 1968, Rennie's bridge was sold to the American entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch of McCulloch Oil for US$2,460,000. A popular urban legend is that he believed mistakenly that he was buying the more impressive Tower Bridge, although McCulloch denied this. As the bridge was disassembled, each piece was numbered to aid reassembly and those markings can still be seen today. The bridge was reconstructed at Lake Havasu City, Arizona and re-dedicated on October 10, 1971. The reconstruction of Rennie's London Bridge spans a man-made canal that leads from Lake Havasu to Thomson Bay, and forms the centrepiece of a theme park in English style, complete with mock-Tudor shopping mall. Rennie's London Bridge has become Arizona's second-biggest tourist attraction, after the Grand Canyon.

The version of London Bridge that was rebuilt at Lake Havasu consists of a concrete frame with stones from the Old London Bridge used as cladding. Not all of the bridge was transported to America, as some was kept behind in lieu of tax duties. The remaining stone was left at Merrivale Quarry on Dartmoor in Devon, so a large part of Rennie's bridge never left the UK. When Merrivale Quarry was abandoned and flooded in 2003, some of the remaining stones were sold in an online auction.

The Tower Bridge

If he had bought this, Arizona would have had an even bigger attraction!!

This sort of reminds me of the famous line "I've got this bridge For Sale" . . . . . .

Quote from ethanedwards

The Tower Bridge
If he had bought this, Arizona would have had an even bigger attraction!!

And he would have had to have paid several times what he paid for the London Bridge, if in fact you folks in England would have let it go, I think Not.

Thanks, Keith, for bringing this to our attention. I have always been under the same misconception. When I'd see a picture of the London (Tower) Bridge, I'd think, "I thought that was in Lake Havasu." Now I know, as Paul Harvey says, the "rest of the story." :teeth_smile:

And Thank You ChiliBill , for the story and pictures.

Chester

Hi

if i remember rightly Debbie Reyonalds or one of her husbands or relatives had something to do with purchasing London Bridge.

Regards

Arthur

Arizona has a lot to offer a tourist....maybe someday

thanks chill for sharing that with us an interesting fact, glad you have a little bit of English history in your neck of the woods, we have Capt. Cooks cottage down in Sydney (I think) and it was bought over with all of the stones numbered so that they could rebuild it, but the doors are really low they sure must have been short back then

cheers smokey

Any takers for Terminal 5 in Heathrow. Where you may eventually leave but your luggage travels the world without you!!


Mike

Hello All,
As a Londoner by birth I was interested in this story. Mind you this particular bridge is about the sixth bridge to be called London Bridge. Before it was dismantled I watched with interest the way the masonry was labelled and despatched. I believe that Arizona is buying up a lot of British history and probably hopes to rejoin the Commonwealth.
Regards
Redcap

Redcap, As Duke would say "That Will Be The Day !" In Arizona we would have to Give up Drinking Coffee, and Start Having Afternoon Tea, and Give Up our Right To Carry Fire Arms !!!

26 Bar Ranch
Chilibill

Hi

In some of the old London bridges people used to live in houses and shops built on the bridge. At that time they also went skating on the Thames and I have seen paintings of braziers alight on the actual ice. No worries about carbon footprints or global warming then


Regards

Arthur

HI

Regarding the doors in Captain Cooks cottage the reason for their smallness was that most of the cottages were built on the cheap, especially houses by a dockyard or by the sea.

People working in the dockyard were allowed to take lengths of wood home with them, but the length couldn't be anymore than 3'-0". This is why in early houses all of the windows were just under three foot square.

Regards

Arthur