West Swanzey Covered Bridge

Last updated
West Swanzey Covered Bridge
Old Covered Bridge, West Swanzey, NH.jpg
Postcard view c. 1915 showing both sidewalks
USA New Hampshire location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationMain St., West Swanzey, New Hampshire
Coordinates 42°52′18″N72°19′42″W / 42.87167°N 72.32833°W / 42.87167; -72.32833 Coordinates: 42°52′18″N72°19′42″W / 42.87167°N 72.32833°W / 42.87167; -72.32833
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1832 (1832)
ArchitectTaft, Zadoc
Architectural styleTown truss
NRHP reference No. 80000281 [1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 29, 1980
West Swanzey Bridge, showing one sidewalk, before restoration, 1966 5 Thompson Bridge, 1966.jpg
West Swanzey Bridge, showing one sidewalk, before restoration, 1966

The West Swanzey Covered Bridge (also known as the Thompson Bridge) is a historic wooden covered bridge carrying Main Street over the Ashuelot River in West Swanzey, New Hampshire. Built in 1832, it is one of New Hampshire's few surviving 19th-century covered bridges. Unlike most of those, it is prominently located in the village, providing access from the village center to New Hampshire Route 10. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. [1]

Contents

Description and history

West Swanzey Bridge, Inside, before restoration, 1966 5 Thompson Bridge Inside, 1966.jpg
West Swanzey Bridge, Inside, before restoration, 1966

The West Swanzey Covered Bridge is located just west of the village center of West Swanzey, carrying Main Street over the Ashuelot River in a roughly east–west orientation. It is one of two bridges in the village; the other is a modern one about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) downriver. It is a two-span Town lattice truss structure, 136'10" long, with spans measuring 64'0" and 63'6", [2] and rests on a stone central pier and abutments. It is covered by a shallow-pitch metal gabled roof, which extends beyond the trusses to shelter sidewalks on both sides. Only one of the sidewalks now survives, although evidence of the separate walkway portals survives. The main vehicle portals have segmented-arch tops, which are echoed in the pedestrian portals. [3]

The bridge was built in 1832 by Zadoc Taft for the town at a cost of $523.27. In 1973 the bridge was posted for a six-ton limit, requiring school buses to empty before they could cross the bridge. [3] It was closed to all traffic in 1990, [2] and underwent a major reconstruction in 1993.

The bridge in 2015 WSwanzeyCoveredBridge2015.jpg
The bridge in 2015

See also

Related Research Articles

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

The Ashuelot River is a tributary of the Connecticut River, approximately 64 miles (103 km) long, in southwestern New Hampshire in the United States. It drains a mountainous area of 425 square miles (1,101 km2), including much of the area known as the Monadnock Region. It is the longest tributary of the Connecticut River within New Hampshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornish–Windsor Covered Bridge</span> Bridge in New Hampshire to Windsor, Vermont

The Cornish–Windsor Covered Bridge is a 156-year-old, two-span, timber Town lattice-truss, interstate, covered bridge that crosses the Connecticut River between Cornish, New Hampshire, and Windsor, Vermont. Until 2008, when the Smolen–Gulf Bridge opened in Ohio, it had been the longest covered bridge in the United States.

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

The Slate Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge which carries the Westport Village Road over the Ashuelot River in Westport, a village of Swanzey, New Hampshire. The bridge was built in 2001, as a replacement for an 1862 bridge that was destroyed by arson fire in 1993. The 1862 bridge, one of New Hampshire's small number of surviving 19th-century covered bridges, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

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

The Coombs Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge which carries Coombs Bridge Road over the Ashuelot River in northern Winchester, New Hampshire. It was built in 1837, and is one of the state's small number of surviving 19th-century covered bridges. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

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

The Carleton Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge that carries Carlton Road over the South Branch Ashuelot River in East Swanzey, New Hampshire. The bridge was built in 1869, and is the region's only surviving example of a 19th-century Queenspost truss bridge. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

<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">Bement Covered Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Bement Covered Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge on Center Road over the Warner River in Bradford, New Hampshire. A Long-truss bridge, it was built in 1854, and is one of New Hampshire's small number of surviving 19th-century covered bridges. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

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

The Bath Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge over the Ammonoosuc River off US 302 and NH 10 in Bath, New Hampshire. Built in 1832, it is one of the state's oldest surviving covered bridges. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and underwent a major rehabilitation in the 2010s.

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

The Haverhill–Bath Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge over the Ammonoosuc River joining Bath and Woodsville, New Hampshire. Formerly used to carry New Hampshire Route 135, the bridge was idled in 1999. Restored in 2004, it is now open to foot traffic only. It is believed to be the oldest covered bridge in the state.

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

The Swiftwater Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge which carries Porter Road over the Wild Ammonoosuc River in Bath, New Hampshire. Built in 1849, it is one of New Hampshire's few surviving 19th-century covered bridges, and a well-preserved example of the Paddleford truss design. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

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

The Keniston Bridge is a historic covered bridge in Andover, New Hampshire, carrying Bridge Street over the Blackwater River. Built in 1882, it is of Town through truss construction, and is one of the few surviving 19th-century covered bridges in the state. It is also one of the only ones whose sides are not fully sheathed, exposing the trusses. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

<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">Wright's Bridge</span> United States historic place

Wright's Bridge is a historic covered bridge in Newport, New Hampshire. Originally built in 1906 to carry the Boston and Maine Railroad across the Sugar River, it now carries the multi-use Sugar River Trail. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

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

The Meriden Bridge is a historic covered bridge in the Meriden area of Plainfield, New Hampshire. The bridge is a single span which carries Colby Hill Road over Bloods Brook, just west of a junction with Main Street and Willow Brook Road. Built about 1880, it is one of New Hampshire's few surviving 19th-century covered bridges. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

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

The Spaulding Bridge is a historic Parker pony truss bridge carrying Mill Street across the Black River in Cavendish, Vermont. Built in 1905, it is one of the state's few surviving examples of a metal truss bridge built before state aid and standardization of bridge types became widespread in Vermont. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridge 6 (Johnson, Vermont)</span> United States historic place

The Railroad Street Bridge is a historic Pratt through truss bridge, carrying Railroad Street across the Lamoille River in Johnson, Vermont. It was built in 1928, after the state's devastating 1927 floods, and is one of its few surviving Pratt through truss bridges. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 as Bridge 6.

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

The Centre Covered Bridge, also known as the Sanborn Covered Bridge, is a historic covered bridge, spanning the Passumpsic River next to U.S. Route 5 (US 5) north of the village of Lyndonville, Vermont. Built in 1872, it was moved to its present location and taken out of service in 1960. It is one of three surviving Paddle-Ford truss bridges in Vermont. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 "West Swanzey Covered Bridge". New Hampshire DHR. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  3. 1 2 "NRHP nomination for West Swanzey Covered Bridge". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-04-18.