Rowell's Covered Bridge

Last updated
Rowell's Covered Bridge
HopkintonNH RowellsBridge.jpg
USA New Hampshire location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationRowell Bridge Rd., West Hopkinton, New Hampshire
Coordinates 43°11′33″N71°44′55″W / 43.19261°N 71.74874°W / 43.19261; -71.74874
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1852 (1852)
Architect Stephen H. Long; Horace Childs
Architectural styleLong patent truss; Burr arch
NRHP reference No. 76000129 [1]
Added to NRHPNovember 21, 1976

Rowell's Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in West Hopkinton, New Hampshire, which carries Rowell Bridge Road over the Contoocook River. The Long truss bridge was completed in 1853, and is one of New Hampshire's few surviving 19th-century covered bridges. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. [1] It is named for Abram (or Abraham) Rowell, an early resident of the area.

Contents

Description and history

Rowell's Covered Bridge is in a rural setting in western Hopkinton, crossing the Contoocook River a short way north of the Contoocook River Dam. The bridge is just under 20 feet (6.1 m) wide and 167 feet (51 m) long, and consists of a single span supported by two modified Long trusses resting on granite abutments. The trusses are distinctive in the addition of several arches, which consist of solid timbers that were spliced or butted together, and mortised into other truss members. The bridge's sturdy engineering was demonstrated by the addition of a central pier in the 20th century whose intent was to add strength. The pier, however, acted as a fulcrum, causing the bridge to seesaw under load and weakening its joints. The top of this pier was consequently removed, leaving the bridge largely as designed except for the addition of some metal reinforcing tie rods. [2]

The bridge is the third to stand at this site, the oldest known to be standing here in 1793. That bridge was replaced in 1845, but was washed away by flooding in 1852. The present bridge was built in 1853 by Horace Childs. Its design is a variant of a design patented by West Hopkinton native Stephen H. Long, a civil engineer. Long helped further Childs' career as a bridge builder; Childs is known to have built covered bridges all over New England and trained a following generation of builders. The bridge underwent a major restoration in 1965. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hopkinton, New Hampshire</span> Town in New Hampshire, United States

Hopkinton is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,914 at the 2020 census. The town has three distinct communities: Hopkinton village, mainly a residential area in the center of the town; Contoocook, the town's business hub, located in the north; and West Hopkinton, within the more agricultural portion of the town. The town is home to the Hopkinton State Fair, adjacent to Contoocook village, and to the historic Contoocook Railroad Depot and the Contoocook Railroad Bridge, the oldest covered railroad bridge in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Orne Covered Bridge</span> Bridge in New Hampshire to Lunenburg, Vermont

The Mount Orne Bridge is a covered bridge over the Connecticut River between Lancaster, New Hampshire, and Lunenburg, Vermont. It joins Elm Street in South Lancaster with River Road in Lunenburg. Built in 1911, it is one of two Howe truss bridges across the Connecticut River. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedell Covered Bridge</span> Bridge in Vermont and Haverhill, New Hampshire

The Bedell Bridge was a Burr truss covered bridge that spanned the Connecticut River between Newbury, Vermont and Haverhill, New Hampshire. Until its most recent destruction in 1979, it was, with a total length of 382 feet (116 m), the second-longest covered bridge in the United States. The bridge was divided into two spans of roughly equal length, and rested on a central pier and shore abutments constructed from mortared rough stone. The eastern abutment has been shored up by the addition of a concrete footing. The bridge was 23 feet (7.0 m) wide, with a roadway width of 18.5 feet (5.6 m). Because the state line is the western low-water mark of the Connecticut River, most of the bridge was in New Hampshire; only the western abutment is in Vermont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashuelot Covered Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Ashuelot Covered Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge over the Ashuelot River on Bolton Road, just south of its intersection with NH 119 in Ashuelot, an unincorporated village of Winchester, New Hampshire. Built in 1864-65, it is one of the state's few surviving 19th-century covered bridges. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sawyers Crossing Covered Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Sawyers Crossing Covered Bridge, also known as the Cresson Bridge, is a wooden covered bridge carrying Sawyers Crossing Road over the Ashuelot River in west Swanzey, New Hampshire. Built in 1859 to replace an older bridge, it continues to serve as a part of Swanzey's transportation network, and is one of the state's few surviving 19th-century covered bridges. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stark Covered Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Stark Covered Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge over the Upper Ammonoosuc River in Stark, New Hampshire. It carries a connecting roadway which joins the Northside Road to New Hampshire Route 110. The bridge was built in either 1857 or 1862, replacing a floating bridge that had been located a short way upstream. It is a two-span Paddleford truss bridge, which is a regional variant of the Long truss. It is 151 feet (46 m) long with a span of 138 feet (42 m), and is 29 feet (8.8 m) wide, carrying an 18-foot (5.5 m) wide roadway and two 6.5-foot (2.0 m) sidewalks. The shore ends of the bridge rest on abutments of granite stone, while the center of the bridge is supported by a reinforced concrete pier, which is flared on the upstream side to deflect debris. The bridge is reinforced with steel beams, giving it a carrying capacity of 15 tons. It is decorated with pendant acorn finials and painted bright white.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meadow Bridge (Shelburne, New Hampshire)</span> United States historic place

The Meadow Bridge was a historic bridge across the Androscoggin River located on a spur of North Road in Shelburne, New Hampshire. It was a multi-span pin-connected truss bridge that was the first on its site when it was built in 1897 by the Groton Bridge and Manufacturing Co. The bridge consisted of three central through Pratt trusses, one pony Pratt truss, and one steel girder section. The ends of the bridge rested on stone abutments, while the interior spans were supported by circular steel piers filled with concrete and anchored in place by timber piles. The bridge was bypassed in 1984 by a modern bridge. In 2004 it was dismantled and stored on the banks of the river for future rehabilitation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Dummerston Covered Bridge</span> United States historic place

The West Dummerston Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge spanning the West River in Dummerston, Vermont, between Vermont Route 30 and Camp Arden Road. Built in 1872, it is at 280 feet (85 m) the longest covered bridge entirely within the state of Vermont. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Contoocook Railroad Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Contoocook Railroad Bridge is a covered bridge on the former Contoocook Valley Railroad line spanning the Contoocook River in the center of the village of Contoocook, New Hampshire, United States. It is referred to in the National Register of Historic Places as the Hopkinton Railroad Covered Bridge, for the town of Hopkinton, New Hampshire, in which the village of Contoocook is located.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalton Covered Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Dalton Covered Bridge, also called the Dalton Bridge, is a historic covered bridge that carries Joppa Road over the Warner River in Warner, New Hampshire. Its name refers to a nearby resident at the time of its construction. The bridge was built in 1853 by Joshua Sanborn, and its original abutments were built by George Sawyer and Webster Davis; all were local residents. The bridge has a span of 76 feet (23 m), with a total bridge length of 84 feet (26 m). The bridge is 17 feet (5.2 m) wide, with a road bed width of 14 feet (4.3 m), although guard rails have reduced its usable width to just under 13 feet (4.0 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hancock–Greenfield Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Hancock–Greenfield Bridge is a historic covered bridge carrying Forest Road over the Contoocook River at the town line between Hancock and Greenfield, New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Department of Transportation covered bridge database refers to it as County Bridge. Built in 1937, it is the first wooden covered bridge in the northeastern United States to use modern engineering techniques. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Contoocook Railroad Depot</span> United States historic place

The Contoocook Railroad Depot is located in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, United States, in the village of Contoocook. The depot was completed in 1849 as one of the first substantial railroad passenger stations west of Concord on the Concord and Claremont Railroad. The building is one of the best preserved of a small number of gable-roofed railroad stations surviving from the first decade of rail development in New Hampshire. The station exemplifies the pioneering period of rail development in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulphite Railroad Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Sulphite Railroad Bridge, also known locally as the Upside-Down Covered Bridge is a historic railroad bridge in Franklin, New Hampshire. The bridge was built circa 1896-7 to carry the tracks of the Boston and Maine Railroad across the Winnipesaukee River between Franklin and Tilton. The bridge is believed to be the only surviving "upside down" covered railroad bridge in the United States, in which the rail bed is laid on top of the bridge roof, whose purpose is to shelter the trusses below. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The bridge, unused since 1973, is not in good condition, having been subjected to graffiti, vandalism, and arson, as well as the elements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durgin Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Durgin Bridge is a covered bridge carrying Durgin Bridge Road over the Cold River in eastern Sandwich, New Hampshire. Built in 1869, it is a rare surviving example of a Paddleford truss bridge, and one of the few surviving 19th-century covered bridges in New Hampshire. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillsborough Railroad Bridge</span> United States historic place

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenyon Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Kenyon Bridge, also known as the Blacksmith Shop Bridge, is a historic covered bridge spanning Mill Brook near Town House Road in Cornish, New Hampshire, United States. Built in 1882, it is one of New Hampshire's few surviving 19th-century covered bridges. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pier Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Pier Bridge is a historic covered bridge in Newport, New Hampshire. Originally built in 1907 to carry the Boston and Maine Railroad across the Sugar River, it now carries the multi-use Sugar River Trail, which was built on the abandoned right-of-way. It is one of a modest number of historic covered bridges in New Hampshire, and is named for the fact that it has a central pier. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tilton Island Park Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Tilton Island Park Bridge is a foot bridge in Tilton, New Hampshire. It spans a portion of the Winnipesaukee River just east of downtown Tilton, providing access to Tilton Island Park, located on an island in the river. Built in 1881, it is a rare surviving example of a bridge with cast iron components, designed by a distinctive patent issued in 1858 to Lucius Truesdell. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Henniker Bridge</span> Bridge

New Henniker Bridge or New Bridge was a covered bridge in West Hopkinton, New Hampshire, which carried Henniker Road over the Contoocook River. The truss bridge was completed in 1863, and was the second bridge on the site. The original stone arch bridge was built in 1845 and was washed away by flood in 1852. The bridge was just over 20 feet (6.1 m) wide and 180 feet (55 m) long, and consisted of a single span supported by two triple lattice trusses resting on granite abutments. The patent drawings show an all-timber truss with fixed intersection angles in the center of the span. At the ends of the span the angles of the diagonals vary. The end post is vertical, and each brace further from it is sloped a little more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyme–East Thetford Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Lyme–East Thetford Bridge is a historic bridge over the Connecticut River between Lyme, New Hampshire, and East Thetford, Vermont. From the New Hampshire side it carries East Thetford Road, which becomes Vermont Route 113 as it enters Vermont. A Parker truss bridge completed in 1937, it is 471 feet (144 m) long. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. 1 2 "NRHP nomination for Rowell's Covered Bridge". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-03-12.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Rowell's Covered Bridge at Wikimedia Commons