Status: Abandoned

The Paulinskill Viaduct also known as the Hainesburg Viaduct, built in 1909, was once part of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad system. The railroad ran from Lake Hopatcong through Pennsylvania, and the reinforced concrete viaduct was just one of the points of interest along the way. It consists of seven arches, looming 115 feet above the river in Hainesburg it was named after and remains a majestic reminder of the scenic railroad that was abandoned in the early 60’s.

When I was going to college in Newton a few years ago, a few of my classmates took me to what they described as a “huge bridge” during a bomb scare that canceled all classes for that day. On the way there they told me horrid tales of people being hung from the bridge, suicides, and murders associated with it, which only added to my curiosity. We arrived in Knowlton and I was anxious to see this “bridge” they spoke so much about, and when we turned onto the narrow road that leads to it and were crossing the one-lane bridge I asked, “Is this it?!”, and my friend Abe laughed and said, “No way. Look up.”. I looked up and to my amazement, the largest concrete arches I had seen since the Roman Aqueducts stood before me. Abe turned to me and said, “We’re going up there.”. I was all for it! The journey to the top would definitely be worth it for the view if nothing else.

At this time, we climbed straight up the hill to the top of the viaduct, but we found an even more adventurous way to do it the next time we visited. It’s possible to go into the arches via a frail stick or now, a hand-built ladder and climb through the arches and up manholes made in the tops of the arches. The manholes lead to the very top of the viaduct where the railroad used to run, which is now a trail mainly used by dirtbikers. The view from the top is simply amazing, so it’s worth the effort.

If you do plan to climb to the top of the viaduct, however, you’d be well advised not to throw stones into the river below, as there are fisherman down there who will yell at you. You should also be careful on the edges of the bridge, as there are no more supports and beams left that will stop you from falling 115 feet onto the street or into the water below.

The viaduct has been subject to vandalism over the years and holes have been made inside the arches, but is still amazing nonetheless. Some say this is evident of the Satanic rituals that supposedly go on inside rooms made in the arches. I’ve heard rumors in the air about plans to rehabilitate the viaduct. And as far as rumors go, no one really knows if the stories of hangings, suicides, and murders are true, but the only known facts are that 20-30 men died while building the viaduct and bodies have been dumped near the viaduct since it stands within that six mile stretch in Knowlton where Princess Doe, Tiger Lady, and 3 others have been found over the past 18 years. It has also been said that a man fell into the concrete while working on the viaduct and still remains in one of the pillars to this very day, but this is a common occurence when a bridge or the like is being built. Supposedly, his ghost wanders the viaduct late at night and the spot where the worker remains is marked. Even more intriguing, there’s an urban legend that a ghost train blazes over the viaduct late at night.

During one of the trips to the Viaduct, we discovered the rusted remains of old cars in the woods beneath the 115 foot high structure. Apparently, people drove them to the top and pushed them off. I’d heard about this from someone else, but this was the first time I had actually seen it.

In recent years, fences have appeared around the old Viaduct, but there have been no signs of it being repaired to be used.

- Ember