The East Washington Avenue Bridge serves an area that was previously known as Pembroke, the name stemming from the 1650s, that grew to become a prosperous agricultural community.

[2][4] The need for the bridge arose when Reverend Birdsey Noble purchased 50 acres from Senator Wright; with the intention of selling housing lots.

[2] The design of the second East Washington Avenue Bridge is unknown, but the survey in 1916 for its replacement documented a cantilever through truss swing that was 184 ft (56 m) long.

[1]: 24  Only two bids for the bridge's erection were placed, the first by Bridgeport Dry Dock and Dredging for $326,575 and the second by C. W. Blakeslee and Sons for $389,492 with estimations varying based on extra work needed.

[2] The original bascule deck of creosote-impregnated yellow pine and the spruce plank sidewalks were replaced with concrete in the early 1940s.

[6] The Hartford Courant states that the 1979 report went unnoticed for four years and another inspection was carried out in 1982; also listing the bridge in "poor condition".

[7] An engineering firm, Flaherty and Giavara, reported that a critical beam had nearly rusted through, prompting the bridge's closure.

[8] The repairs billed at $5,000 were a temporary solution and the bridge was slated to close in February 1984 when $1.5 million in funds were unavailable.

[3] In 2013, the East Washington Avenue Bridge was described by officials as rarely opening to accommodate marine traffic.