Leffert L. Buck

Who was Leffert L. Buck?

Leffert L. Buck was an American civil engineer and a pioneer in the use of steel arch bridge structures. Leffert graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, in 1868. Some of his projects include:

the Verrugas Viaduct on the Oroya Railroad in Peru

the steel suspension bridge over the Niagara Gorge

one of New York City's most notable landmarks: the Williamsburg Bridge. At 1,600 feet in 1903, it was the longest bridge in the world at the time and a key factor in opening Brooklyn up as a working-class neighborhood for Manhattan. The bridge is well known for its vast reach and massive symmetry.

the Pont De Rennes bridge that spans the Genesee River in Rochester at the High Falls.

Before earning his civil engineering degree from RPI, Buck fought for the Union Army in the American Civil War under General Slocum, participating in the battles at Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Peachtree Creek, Resaca and Ringgold Gap.

A dormitory in the Quadrangle complex at Rensselaer is named after him.