The Epic History of London Bridge

You are probably familiar with the famous tune: “London Bridge is Falling Down.” But there is more to the story than a few catchy lyrics.

London Bridge was completed in 1831 in London, England, and stood as one of the city’s most famous attractions for more than 100 years. But by 1962, the bridge began to crumble, unable to support modern traffic. So the city of London had a couple of options. Either demolish the famous bridge, or sell it.

So, they sold it to an American businessman, Robert McCulloch, who purchased the bridge in the 1960’s. But what would an American do with a massive bridge that’s located in London?

Surprisingly, he had it shipped from Britain across the Atlantic and into the Port of Houston. Once the bridge arrived in America in thousands of pieces, it was meticulously hauled all the way to Lake Havasu City, Ariz, where it was reconstructed in a grueling, lengthy process. The process took more than three years and was completed in late 1971. Sounds weird, right? Why would someone go to so much trouble just for an old bridge?

The bridge was bought and rebuilt as a tourist attraction, in hopes that the famous landmark would attract home buyers and tourists. And it has. Today, it still serves as a popular tourist attraction for the city. The bridge is accompanied by a surrounding “English Village”, an quaint English-style mall with an intricate hedge maze and even a historical museum.

Take a look at the funny video below, for a more detailed version of what happened to the famous bridge.

What do you think? It certainly gives new meaning to “London Bridge is Falling Down,” doesn’t it?

 

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