The first iteration of the London Bridge was built in 50 AD by the Romans and remained the only bridge across the River Thames until 1750. The bridge was frequently rebuilt, and the iteration that lasted a majority of the Victorian Era—the Rennie London Bridge, named after its architect, John Rennie—was built in 1831. At the time, there were nine other bridges that spanned the Thames (compared to the 34 others of today). Despite this, it still remained the busiest crossing in London, and even began to sink under such frequent use. The bridge was eventually dismantled and replaced, and when it was, Rennie’s London Bridge was purchased by Missourian entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch in 1968. Each granite block was marked for reassembly and shipped across seas, and Rennie’s London Bridge was eventually rebuilt at Lake Havasu City, Arizona in 1971.

The most modern iteration of the London Bridge was opened to the public in 1973 after five years of construction. Remnants of the medieval London Bridge and Rennie’s London Bridge can be found scattered around London—arches from Rennie’s bridge crown tunnels, stone alcoves provide a rest spot in parks, and coat of arms plaques the sides of buildings. While it’s no longer the most congested bridge—with that title going to the Southwark Bridge, just west of the London Bridge—the London Bridge still boasts the most exciting history of the bridges in London, dating all the way back to Romans.