Narrowsburg takes its name from the small, narrow rock canyon easily seen from the bridge. The canyon, only 200 feet wide, is the narrowest point in the length of the Delaware River main stem and is located at river-mile 290 as counted from the mouth of the Delaware Bay.
Local commerce was greatly enhanced by the accessibility offered by the interstate bridge. The current bridge is the fifth bridge erected at the narrows since 1810. Earlier bridges, including covered bridges and a simple iron structure, were washed away by flood waters.
[Photo captions, counterclockwise from middle left, read]
Bridge Approach
Main Street Narrowsburg has changed significantly since this photo of the businesses along the old bridge approach.
Toll Bridges
Some bridges had toll houses with toll collectors. Tolls for pedestrians, cattle, horses, and vehicles helped fund bridge construction.
The Narrows and the Big Eddy
Above and left: Just downstream from these narrows is the Big Eddy, the deepest place in the Delaware River. An eddy is a place of quiet river and flat water flanked above and below by rapids, exposed rocks and shallow water. The 113 foot deep hole, visible from the deck, often has a whirlpool. There are two theories concerning this hole: (1) it is a long-drowned 'plunge pool' from
a glacial waterfall and (2) it is a pothole scoured out by erosion, with the smooth rocks at the bottom being the tools that did the job through tumbling action.
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