Long before being shipped off to Lake Havasu, the London Bridge enjoyed a storied history, spanning the River Thames in London.
Photos courtesy of the Lake Havasu Museum of History
The first stone bridge to cross the Thames was designed by Peter Colechurch, and built in 1209. A length of 900 feet, the bridge was 20 feet wide and had 20 arches. It also included a drawbridge.
Photos courtesy of the Lake Havasu Museum of History
In 1577, the Nonesuch House was built as a replacement for the drawbridge. The many stores and shops along the bridge were destroyed by a fire in 1623. The bridge was enlarged, the shops removed, and was eventually replaced by a new bridge in 1831.
Photos courtesy of the Lake Havasu Museum of History
This is one of the last photos taken of the London Bridge crossing the Thames in London before it was dismantled and shipped, block by block, to Lake Havasu City.
Purchased by Robert McCulloch in 1968, the cost of the bridge was $2,460,000. Shipping and construction costs raised the total cost of the project to just over $5,000,000. The reconstruction of the bridge in Lake Havasu had taken 40 workers and three years to finish. When originally constructed in London, construction took over seven years to complete with over 800 workers.