Everybody knows the familiar kids song “London Bridge”. What the song doesn’t tell you, though, is that the bridge ends up retiring in Arizona. The story of how the iconic London Bridge ended up in the desert is truly one of the most amazing and bizarre stories of engineering and self-promotion imaginable.
All About the London Bridge(s)
Although the original London Bridge of nursery rhyme fame was originally constructed in the 12th century (and yes, it was always “falling down”), the one that currently resides in Arizona was built in the 19th century. The older incarnation of London Bridge may be best known as the place the English would place the heads of executed criminals, rebels, and traitors- the heads of William Wallace and Sir Thomas More were displayed there, among others. The old Bridge was rife with problems that constantly required repair, and eventually, increased ship traffic on the river required the old bridge be replaced by a more modern one that would allow ships to pass underneath (and wasn’t in danger of collapsing all the time.) This incarnation of the London Bridge replaced the antiquated medieval version in 1831, and spanned the Thames River in London for over a century. Unfortunately, the designers of the bridge would hardly have been able to expect the invention of the automobile, and modern traffic quickly began to sink the bridge into the river. This left the leadership of the city in quite a difficult situation, and luckily for the people of Lake Havasu City, the city of London decided to sell it rather than simply make it “fall down” for good.
How Did it End Up in Arizona?
The founder of Lake Havasu City, a man named Robert P. McCulloch, had a problem: he wanted to attract visitors to his city, which was newly founded, arid, and fairly far away from everywhere else. He settled on buying London Bridge, and after bidding 2.4 million dollars, the English began the arduous process of dismantling the bridge, numbering each stone, and shipping it thousands of miles away on a cargo ship. After 4 years and 7 million in construction costs, the bridge opened in 1971. And you know what? The plan worked, allowing McCulloch to earn his money back in a matter of years due to the thousands of people who moved to the area. Now, Lake Havasu City is a spring break destination, retirement haven, and year-round recreation hotspot- yet will likely always be best known as the city that brought the London Bridge to the desert.
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This article is part of a series on Arizona’s Amazing Roadside Attractions
