Emily Warren Roebling

@Lady who Guided the Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, Timeline and Life ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Emily Warren Roebling was a female engineer largely responsible for guiding construction of the Brooklyn Bridge American New York University Engineers Civil Engineers Virgo Celebrities Emily Warren Roebling was a female engineer largely responsible for guiding construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. She was married to Washington Roebling, a civil engineer, who was Chief Engineer during the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. In order to help her husband in his work, she extensively studied civil engineering topics like strength of materials, stress analysis, and cable construction. She had some prior interest and knowledge about bridge construction even before her husband's appointment as Chief Engineer. Her knowledge about the subject came in handy when her husband became ill with caisson disease. As the disease progressed, he became increasingly disabled, forcing Emily to fulfill most of his engineering duties in the construction of the bridge. Along with her husband, she jointly planned the bridge's continued construction, and actively managed the day-to-day construction activities. Over the course of the work, she engaged with politicians, engineers, and others associated with the bridge and was recognized as the engineer largely responsible for guiding construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. For years she remained busy in overseeing the work on the bridge, and served as an effective spokesperson on behalf of her husband.

Personal Details

Birthday: September 23, 1843 Died on: February 28, 1903 Nationality: American Famous: Lady who Guided the Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, New York University, Engineers, Civil Engineers Spouses: Washington Roebling Siblings: Gouverneur K. Warren Universities: New York University New York University Information Detail Birthday September 23, 1843 Died on February 28, 1903 Nationality American Famous Lady who Guided the Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, New York University, Engineers, Civil Engineers Spouses Washington Roebling Siblings Gouverneur K. Warren Universities New York University New York University Notable Alumnis New York University Birth Place Cold Spring, New York Gender Female Sun Sign Virgo Born in Cold Spring, New York Famous as Lady Who Guided The Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. Died at Age 59

Cold Spring, New York

Emily Warren Roebling born at Unsplash Birth Place

Emily’s brother was serving with the Fifth Army Corps during the American Civil War. While visiting him in 1864, she met Washington Roebling who worked on her brother’s staff. The two fell in love and tied the knot on January 18, 1865. This marriage resulted in the birth of one son. Unsplash Personal Life

She was a wide traveler and lived an active life till the very end. She died on February 28, 1903. Unsplash Personal Life

Emily Warren was born on September 23, 1843, to Sylvanus and Phebe Warren at Cold Spring, New York, as the second youngest of the couple’s 12 children. Her father was a state assemblyman and town supervisor. She was especially close to her older brother Gouverneur K. Warren. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

Intelligent and curious from a young age, she loved to learn and wanted to pursue a formal education. She was educated at a convent school in Washington and was fully supported by her older brother in her intellectual pursuits. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

Eventually her brother graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and became a corps commander in the Union army during the American Civil War. Emily met and married Washington Roebling, an engineering officer on her brother’s staff. Unsplash Later Years

Emily’s father-in-law John Augustus Roebling, a prominent civil engineer, designed the Brooklyn Bridge. As he began work on it, Emily and her engineer husband went to Europe to study the use of caissons for the bridge. Unsplash Later Years

Meanwhile, her father-in-law sustained a crush injury to his foot in a freak accident when a ferry pinned it against a piling. The amputation of his crushed toes resulted in a tetanus infection due to which his health deteriorated quickly. Realizing that he would not survive, he appointed Washington Roebling in charge of the project. Unsplash Later Years

After his father’s death, Washington took over the project and immersed himself in it. During his work, he developed caisson disease which progressed quickly and left him bed-ridden. At this point, Emily began taking up more responsibility of the bridge work to help her husband. Unsplash Later Years

An intelligent and well-read woman, she already had basic knowledge about construction of bridges. Now she began reading more about the subject and gained extensive knowledge on topics like strength of materials, stress analysis, and cable construction. Unsplash Later Years

Emily Warren Roebling is known for her contribution towards the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge which connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River. Considered an icon of New York City, the bridge was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1972. Unsplash Major Works

Information	Detail
Birthday	September 23, 1843
Died on	February 28, 1903
Nationality	American
Famous	Lady who Guided the Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, New York University, Engineers, Civil Engineers
Spouses	Washington Roebling
Siblings	Gouverneur K. Warren
Universities	New York University New York University
Notable Alumnis	New York University
Birth Place	Cold Spring, New York
Gender	Female
Sun Sign	Virgo
Born in	Cold Spring, New York
Famous as	Lady Who Guided The Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Died at Age	59

Emily Warren Roebling

American

Sep 23, 1843

Biography

Personal Details

Cold Spring, New York