Columbia Bridge (New Hampshire)

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Columbia Bridge

213-23 Columbia Bridge.jpg

Bridge in U.S. states of Vermont & New Hampshire
Coordinates 44°51′11″N71°33′04″W / 44.853°N 71.551°W / 44.853; -71.551 Coordinates: 44°51′11″N71°33′04″W / 44.853°N 71.551°W / 44.853; -71.551
Crosses Connecticut River
Locale Columbia, New Hampshire and Lemington, Vermont
Maintained by Town of Columbia
ID number 29-04-07 (NH #33)
45-05-02 (VT)
Characteristics
Design Howe truss bridge [1]
Total length 145.75 ft (44.425 m)
Width 20.58 ft (6.273 m) (maximum), 14.66 ft (4.468 m) (roadway)
Longest span 131.5 ft (40.08 m)
Load limit 6 tons
Clearance above 13.08 ft (3.987 m)
History
Construction end

1912 (1912)

Columbia Covered Bridge
USA New Hampshire location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Nearest city Columbia, New Hampshire
Coordinates 44°51′11″N71°33′5″W / 44.85306°N 71.55139°W / 44.85306; -71.55139 Coordinates: 44°51′11″N71°33′5″W / 44.85306°N 71.55139°W / 44.85306; -71.55139
Area 1 acre (0.4 ha)
Architect Charles Babbitt
Architectural style Howe truss covered bridge
NRHP reference # 76000123 [2]
Added to NRHP December 12, 1976

The Columbia Bridge is a covered bridge, carrying Columbia Bridge Road over the Connecticut River between Columbia, New Hampshire and Lemington, Vermont. Built in 1911-12, it is one of only two New Hampshire bridges (along with the Mount Orne Covered Bridge) built with Howe trusses, and is one of the last covered bridges built in the historic era of covered bridge construction in both states. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. [2]

Covered bridge wooden bridge with protective cover

A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges, create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered wooden bridges typically have a lifespan of only 20 years because of the effects of rain and sun, but a covered bridge could last 100 years.

Connecticut River river in the New England region of the United States

The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for 406 miles (653 km) through four states. It rises at the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island Sound. Its watershed encompasses five U.S. states and one Canadian province, 11,260 square miles (29,200 km2) via 148 tributaries, 38 of which are major rivers. It produces 70% of Long Island Sound's fresh water, discharging at 19,600 cubic feet (560 m3) per second.

Columbia, New Hampshire Town in New Hampshire, United States

Columbia is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 757 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Berlin, NH–VT micropolitan statistical area.

Contents

Description and history

The Columbia Bridge stands in southeastern Lemington and northwestern Columbia, both rural communities in the northern parts of their respective states. It carries Columbia Bridge Road between United States Route 3 in New Hampshire and Vermont Route 102 in Vermont. It is in a rural agricultural setting, and is oriented northwest-to-southeast across the Connecticut River, on abutments of dry laid stone that have been faced in concrete. It is a wood-iron Howe truss design, with a single span that is 146 feet (45 m) long. The bridge has a total width of 20.5 feet (6.2 m) and a roadway with of 15.5 feet (4.7 m), and an internal clearance of 13 feet (4.0 m). The exterior is sheathed in vertical board siding, which extends a short way into each portal to protect the truss ends. The siding on the north side rises to a height of 6 feet (1.8 m), leaving an open space between it and the gabled roof. [3]

Vermont Route 102 highway in Vermont

Vermont Route 102 (VT 102) is a north–south state highway in Essex County, Vermont, in the United States. It follows the west bank of the Connecticut River and parallels U.S. Route 3 (US 3), which is routed along the river's east bank in New Hampshire. The southern terminus of the route is at US 2 in Guildhall. Its northern terminus is at VT 114 and VT 253 in Canaan. VT 102 is 43.755 miles (70.417 km) long and connects to six highways that traverse the Connecticut River.

The bridge was built by Charles Babbitt in 1912, replacing one destroyed by fire the previous year, and is the third to stand on the site. The bridge is considered to be one of the last built in either state during the historic period of covered bridge construction. [3] It was rehabilitated by the state of New Hampshire in 1981 at a cost of $143,000.

See also

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Coos County, New Hampshire.

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Vermont.

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References

  1. ↑ Official New Hampshire site about this bridge
  2. 1 2 National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service.
  3. 1 2 "NRHP nomination for Columbia Bridge" . Retrieved 2014-10-25.
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