PIERMONT, NY.- The Rockland County Art in Public Places Committee announced the dedication of its 41st countywide project – a permanent, solar-powered light installation at the Sparkill Creek Drawbridge in Piermont.

Located between Ferdon and Piermont Avenues directly behind the Piermont Post Office, the Sparkill Creek Drawbridge, a single-leaf manually operated metal bridge, was built in 1880 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Boaters and fishermen traveling the Sparkill Creek (a tributary of the Hudson River) would crank up the bridge on their own, using a lifting mechanism first used in the Middle Ages. Although the bridge was disassembled and restored to its original appearance in 2009, it now serves solely as a pedestrian walkway and gathering place.

This unique historic structure has been illuminated with LED lights, designed by the award-winning architectural lighting firm Kugler Ning Lighting. The two vertical towers and horizontal railings on the bridge have been lit from below to accentuate the intricate truss work of the structure. Based in Manhattan, Kugler Ning Lighting has completed projects throughout the United States and abroad, including works at Carnegie Hall, Yale University and many corporations, among them Sony and Samsung.

Mounted near to the bridge, five solar panels and associated storage batteries were designed to optimize the amount of solar energy produced each day. Throughout the year, the bridge will be lit between sunset and 10:30 p.m. Funding for the solar installation has been provided by Green Mountain Energy Sun Club.

Accompanying the light installation are two specially designed forged-metal and wood benches by artist/blacksmith James Garvey. Placed in the center of the bridge to complement the existing seating, these artworks feature Garvey’s signature lariat design. Other projects by the Sparkill-based Garvey can be seen in Manhattan’s Central Park, at the Wall Street subway station and at the Crosby Hotel in SoHo.

The Piermont Civic Association, the Piermont Historical Society, the Piermont Chamber of Commerce, the Village of Piermont Board, the Piermont Department of Public Works, the Piermont Parks Commission and the Rockland County Highway Department have provided additional support for the project.