Old Covered Bridge | |
Location | Sheffield, Massachusetts |
---|---|
Coordinates | 42°7′26″N73°21′17″W / 42.12389°N 73.35472°W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1837; replicated 1996 |
Architect | Ithiel Town |
NRHP reference No. | 78000445 [1] |
Added to NRHP | November 24, 1978 |
The Old Covered Bridge, also known as the Upper Sheffield Covered Bridge, is a covered bridge on Covered Bridge Lane in Sheffield, Massachusetts. It is a replica of an 1837 lattice truss bridge that was destroyed by fire in 1994. At the time of its destruction it was the oldest covered bridge in Massachusetts. [2] The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. [1] The bridge is open to pedestrians.
The Old Covered Bridge is located just east of the village of Sheffield Plain, spanning the Housatonic River at the ends of Covered Bridge Lane. The bridge is approached from the west by a causeway extending all the way to United States Route 7, and from the east by a causeway about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) long, both crossing the river's flood plain. The bridge is 93 feet (28 m) long, and rests on granite abutments, one of which is of 19th-century origin, while the other was the result of a 20th-century rehabilitation of the 1837 bridge. The bridge has two lattice trusses built to the patent of Ithiel Town, whose lower members have been doubled for added strength. The exterior is finished in vertical board siding, and it is covered by a gabled roof. [3]
The 1837 bridge was one of the oldest known examples of a Town truss, built to an updated version of Town's patent published in 1835. The bridge underwent period maintenance, and was closed to traffic in 1970 after the Labor Day 1969 UFO Incident. The original bridge was restored in 1974 and 1981, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. [1] [2] The bridge was destroyed by fire in 1994, and the replacement bridge was complete in 1996. [4] The fire was determined to be arson, set by local teenagers. The bridge was rebuilt to plans that had been drawn during its restoration. [5]
The Housatonic River is a river, approximately 149 miles (240 km) long, in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. It flows south to southeast, and drains about 1,950 square miles (5,100 km2) of southwestern Connecticut into Long Island Sound.
The Burt Henry Covered Bridge, also known as the Henry Covered Bridge or just the Henry Bridge, is a covered bridge that spans the Walloomsac River near Bennington, Vermont. A Town lattice truss bridge, it carries River Road, just south of the village of North Bennington. Originally built about 1840, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 as Bennington County's oldest covered bridge. It was rebuilt in 1989 by the Vermont Agency of Transportation.
The Brown Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge in Shrewsbury, Vermont. Located in the northwestern part of the town, it carries Upper Cold River Road over the Cold River. It was closed to vehicular traffic in 2011 due to damage from Hurricane Irene and reopened on July 5, 2016. Built in 1880 by noted Vermont bridgewright Nichols M. Powers, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2014, cited as one of the finest and least-altered examples of a Town lattice truss covered bridge in the United States.
The Kingsley Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge carrying East Street across the Mill River in Clarendon, Vermont. Built about 1870, it is the town's only surviving 19th-century covered bridge. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Fallasburg Bridge is a 100-foot (30 m) span Brown truss covered bridge, erected in 1871 in Vergennes Township, Michigan, United States, 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Lowell on the Flat River. Carrying Covered Bridge Road across the Flat, it is located in the Fallasburg Historical District south of Whites Bridge and Smyrna. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and along with Whites Bridge, Langley Covered Bridge, and Zehnder's Holz Brucke, is one of only four Michigan covered bridges open to vehicle traffic.
Ware–Hardwick Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge spanning the Ware River on Old Gilbertville Road and Bridge Street in Ware and the village of Gilbertville within Hardwick, Massachusetts. It is one of a small number of surviving 19th-century covered bridges in the state. The bridge was built in 1886, extensively rebuilt in 1986–1987, and was closed in 2002 due to structural issues and a limited carrying capacity. The bridge reopened in October 2010 and no longer has a weight limit according to MassDOT. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The West Cornwall Covered Bridge is a wooden covered lattice truss bridge carrying the Sharon-Goshen Turnpike over the Housatonic River in the town of Cornwall, Connecticut. Records indicate that a bridge may have been in place in this location as early as 1762. A previous bridge was destroyed in the flood of 1837 and a new bridge was constructed in 1841. This bridge would also be destroyed and the current bridge would be completed circa 1864. Utilizing the central pier from the previous incarnation, despite the Town lattice being able to withstand the weight and single span, the bridge has two spans. The later addition of queen trusses and supports gives the bridge an unusual appearance. Modernization of the bridge in 1968 and 1973 has continued to let the bridge handle traffic. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
The Elm–Maple–South Streets Historic District is a historic district encompassing part of the historic downtown of Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The most prominent parts of Stockbridge lie within the Main Street Historic District, which abuts this district to the north. The southern boundary of this district is the railroad tracks that run parallel to the Housatonic River. The eastern boundary of the district is Laurel Hill, a wooded park overlooking the town, and the western boundary is a terraced shelf in the plains of the river. The district includes properties on Depot, Elm, Maple, and South Streets, and Laurel Lane. Unlike Main Street, this district consists of more densely place residences, and narrower roads containing businesses just off Main Street. Its buildings were mostly constructed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and partially reflect Elm Street's function as an industrial part of the town. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
The Golden Hill Bridge is a historic bridge on Golden Hill Road over the Housatonic River in Lee, Massachusetts. It is a lenticular pony truss bridge built c. 1885 by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company, and is the state's oldest surviving bridge of this type. It is one of only five Berlin Co. bridges in the Berkshires, and is the only known surviving bridge to implement modifications to the pony truss design patented by William O. Douglas in 1885. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
Bull's Bridge is a single-lane vehicular wooden covered bridge across the Housatonic River in the town of Kent, Connecticut, close to the state border with New York. The first instance of a bridge at this location was constructed by Jacob and Isaac Bull in 1760, which gave the bridge its name. Popular legend suggests that George Washington crossed the bridge with the Bulls' assistance while still under construction. The current bridge was built in 1842 from timber, with additional supports added in the 19th and 20th centuries. Built with a Town lattice design, the bridge has reinforced trusswork visible on the interior. At the time of its nomination to the National Register of Historic Places the roof had wood shingles. It is historically significant as one of three surviving covered bridges in Connecticut, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
The Arlington Green Covered Bridge is a covered bridge located off Vermont Route 313 in Arlington, Vermont. The Town lattice truss bridge carries Covered Bridge Road across Batten Kill. It was built in 1852 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It is one of Vermont's oldest surviving bridges.
The Cold River Bridge, also known as McDermott Bridge, is a historic wooden covered bridge spanning the Cold River near Crane Brook Road in Langdon, New Hampshire, USA. Built in 1869, it is one of the state's few surviving 19th-century covered bridges. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It is closed to vehicular traffic.
The Berlin Iron Bridge Company was a Berlin, Connecticut company that built iron bridges and buildings that were supported by iron. It is credited as the architect of numerous bridges and buildings now listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It eventually became part of the American Bridge Company.
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The Mull Covered Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. Built in the middle of the nineteenth century, it is located near Burgoon in Sandusky County. Although it is no longer used to facilitate transportation, the bridge has been preserved and is now a historic site.
The Corbin Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge over the North Branch of the Sugar River on Corbin Road, approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) west of NH 10 in Newport in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, but was removed following its destruction by fire in the early hours of May 25, 1993. It has since been reconstructed.
The Hillsborough Railroad Bridge was a historic covered railroad bridge spanning the Contoocook River in Hillsborough, New Hampshire. Built in 1903 by the Boston and Maine Railroad, it was destroyed by arson in 1985. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. At the time of its nomination it was one of six covered railroad bridges in the state; it and at least one other were destroyed by the actions of arsonists.
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The Williamsville Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge, carrying Dover Road over the Rock River in Newfane, Vermont. Probably built in the 1870s, this Town lattice truss bridge is probably the oldest covered bridge in Windham County, and is the only one surviving in the town of Newfane. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
The River Road Covered Bridge was a historic covered bridge, carrying Veilleux Road across the Missisquoi River in Troy, Vermont. Built in 1910, the Town lattice truss was the only surviving covered bridge in Troy from the historic period of covered bridge construction when it burned on February 6, 2021. It also exhibited some distinctive variations in construction from more typical Town lattices. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.