Our Mission

To conserve, restore and protect the beautiful, historic Smith-Ransome Japanese Bridge. 

About Us

The Smith-Ransome Japanese Bridge Conservancy has been established to support the restoration, preservation and maintenance of the historically significant reinforced concrete bridge and sea wall (collectively, the “Bridge”) designed by Earnest Ransome and built in the early 1900s for Francis Marion Smith, at South Ferry Hills, Shelter Island, NY. Our goals are to foster awareness of and appreciation for the work of their designers, engineers, builders and craftsmen, and support the work and goals of historical preservation for this beautiful and important structure and site. The Bridge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on February 2, 2018. It is owned by the South Ferry Hills Association (the “Association”), a New York not-for-profit corporation acting as a homeowners association.

Restoration Projects

After an assessment of the Smith-Ransome Japanese Bridge by the Steward Preservation Services, we have determined a number of projects that must be completed in order to ensure the structural integrity of the bridge. These projects address the overall deterioration conditions, the areas of instability and possible liability, and the projected longevity of the bridge. Follow the link below for more information on each specific project and a link to the full assessment. 

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