Simpson Bay:---Students of the St. Maarten Archaeological Center (SIMARC) together with Dr. Jay Haviser, used part of their weekend to clean and record the Old Simpson Bay bridge at Simpson Bay between the Atrium and Topper's restaurant. The students see this old bridge as an important historical monument for the Simpson Bay area, and indeed many people do not even know that the bridge is still there.
The original wooden bridge at this location was built in 1933, as the very first bridge to connect Simpson Bay Village to the main part of the island. That first wooden bridge was replaced in the early 1950's with the stone and mortar bridge that is presently being used. It was in 1970 that the first John S. Lejuez Bridge was built at the location used by traffic today. However, the first Lejuez Bridge was a metal side-swing swivel bridge, which was later replaced by the present lift bridge.
The SIMARC students want to show respect for this monument by cleaning it after hurricane Omar, and also to make measurements and photographs of the bridge for a proper recording of the site, that such an historical monument deserves. They also plan to conduct some archaeological test excavations around the old bridge in the near future. The SIMARC students all agree that this old bridge would make an excellent small historical park, or children's playground, for the Simpson Bay area, combining heritage and recreation.
