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Gigantic Replica of the Golden Gate in the Backyard Transforms Stream into 150-Foot Handmade Bridge by Retired Mailman Inspired by a Postcard from Vietnam
Sitting by a stream in the countryside and dreaming of a legendary bridge seems like something out of a movie, but for Larry Richardson, it became a home engineering project. Determining that a simple footbridge was not enough, he decided to build a gigantic replica of the Golden Gate in his backyard, stretching 150 feet of steel, wood, and concrete over the water. The project, which started as a creative way to connect both sides of the property, ended up becoming the most ambitious construction of his life.
Over nine years, Larry and his father mixed 97 and a half tons of concrete by hand, in a wheelbarrow, repurposed materials, and even built their own crane to raise the towers.
The result is a gigantic replica of the Golden Gate in the backyard that stands over two stories high, eight feet wide, and embodies a mix of memories from Vietnam, creativity, and good stubbornness.
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From a Dream at the Golden Gate to the Idea of the Replica in the Backyard
Before any pillars existed, it all began with a teenage desire. In 1967, on the eve of the Vietnam War, Larry had a simple list of things he wanted to do in life, and crossing the Golden Gate Bridge was on it.
Just a few months later, fate made sure to fulfill that wish in an unexpected way: he crossed the bridge on his way to Vietnam, carried by the Army.
This crossing left such an impact that he bought a postcard of the bridge and kept it as a memento. Years later, back home, retired, and living on a property cut by a stream, that image came back to him.
The practical need was clear: a passage was needed between the two sides of the property. But the memory spoke louder.
Instead of a simple footbridge, he decided to transform the stream into the setting for a gigantic replica of the Golden Gate in the backyard, using the postcard as a reference model.
From a Simple Footbridge to the Gigantic Replica of the Golden Gate in the Backyard
The “normal” solution would be to build a small wooden platform, something quick, cheap, and functional. Larry even acknowledges that the option he chose was an exaggeration.
But instead of giving up, he embraced the idea of building a complete suspension bridge, with towers, cables, and proportions that resembled the original.
He and his father, a retired mechanic, took on the project without being engineers. They adjusted the bridge design based on the postcard, determined the 150-foot span and the alignment of the cables at angles similar to those of the original Golden Gate.
With patient planning from weekend to weekend, the gigantic replica of the Golden Gate in the backyard began to take shape, first on paper, then in concrete and steel.
Concrete in the Arm, Homemade Crane, and Recycled Materials
The grandeur of the project is not only in the visual but in how it was executed. Instead of concrete trucks or large contractors, 97 and a half tons of concrete were mixed by hand, in wheelbarrows, batch by batch. Each base, every anchorage, and every part of the structure was filled with this handcrafted concrete.
To raise the towers, Larry and his father built their own crane, a custom solution to lift the heavy pieces without relying on industrial equipment.
The anchors holding the cables extend about seven feet into the ground, with approximately 10 tons of concrete in each, ensuring stability for the structure.
The main cables came from an old oil drilling platform, and the lower protection uses cattle panels, repurposed as containment fences.
The gigantic replica of the Golden Gate in the backyard is, at the same time, a monument of improvised engineering and a showcase of creativity with recycled material.
Even with the scale and time involved, the estimated cost remained between three and four thousand dollars in materials, precisely because almost everything was repurposed, adapted, or built by them.
Instead of money, the central investment was time, physical effort, and persistence.
Nine Years of Work, Among Birdhouses and Family Weekends
The bridge did not come to be overnight. It took about nine years of work, at a pace reminiscent of a retiree who prefers to enjoy the process.
Larry was already accustomed to building things on his own: he and his wife built their own house from garage kits, joining two structures to form a residence.
Additionally, they had already made hundreds of birdhouses, all distributed for free, never selling a single piece.
With the same philosophy, the bridge gradually progressed, between one weekend and another. There was no rush, corporate schedule, or delivery pressure: each stage was another chapter in the family story.
The gigantic replica of the Golden Gate in the backyard became a “life project,” where the joy of building mattered just as much as the final result over the stream.
The Finished Bridge: Routine, Memory, and a Movie Scenario
Today, the structure is complete: 150 feet long, over two stories high, eight feet wide, and a long sequence of cables, supports, and crossbeams that traverse the backyard as if they were a window to California.
At night, Larry and his wife often walk across the bridge, traversing the surrounding forest. For her, walking hand in hand is a romantic gesture; for him, it is also the confirmation that all the effort was worth it.
The bridge became more than just a passage solution. It is a physical reminder of the original crossing to Vietnam, a symbol of partnership with his mechanic father, and proof that an apparently impossible project can become reality with persistence and creativity.
In Larry’s view, the gigantic replica of the Golden Gate in the backyard is simply the coolest thing he has ever done in his life.
And you, if you had a stream running through your backyard, would you have the courage to take on nine years of work to build a bridge of your dreams or would you settle for a simple, functional footbridge?
That is so cool. No I just need a creek to go under it.
You have a very kind/ gentle voice and can tell you are a very good man. THANKS FOR SHARING
Ni siquiera parecido al “Golden Gate” de San Francisco.
Es un puente colgante casero.
Solamente eso.