Spanning Bull Run, the Stone Bridge became an important landmark in the Civil War Battles of First and Second Bull Run. Built of native sandstone in 1825 and repaired in 1847, the bridge was blown up by the Confederates on March 9, 1862 when they withdrew from the region. Within months, Union Army engineers replaced the bridge with a temporary wooden structure that was eventually demolished by the rear guard of Maj. Gen. John Pope’s retreating army defeated at the Battle of Second Bull Run on August 30, 1862. In 1886, the Stone Bridge was reconstructed in stone on the location of the 1825 span. Some portions of the abutments may survive from the wartime structure. This new structure, similar to the original bridge, remained open to traffic until 1926 when a modern highway bridge was constructed downstream. The modern bridge was replaced in the late 1960’s.
