It was by chance that I saw a picture of a covered bridge (my first) and I loved what I saw! This was a few months ago. When the trip to New England began to take shape- I tried to seek out covered bridges in the area. There were quite a few and the task was to find ones that did not require a detour. My list of things to check out on this tour was growing and I did not want the road trip to be too cramped with detours. It was decided that we would only check out ones that were on our route.
The first few days were all about lighthouses, which were one of the highlights of this vacation. When we left the coast for the mountains in New Hampshire, I knew covered bridges were scattered all over. My first encounter was with this charmer at the Flume Gorge. As we hiked on the trail, there it was! The Flume Bridge- over the Pemigewasset river.
Pemigewasset means 'swift and rapid current' in the Abenaki Indian language.
The date on a sign on the bridge says 1886, but the New Hampshire government website says that the bridge was built in 1871.
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Seeing this beauty justified my decision to include them in my list of things to see. We made our way on the path to the other side of the bridge to continue with our hike. After walking over a mile, the Sentinel Pine Covered bridge lay ahead.
We walked down to it, and joined a few people who were taking pictures of the very scenic views around.
Built in 1939, it gets its name from a giant Sentinel Pine tree that stood on a cliff near a deep water basin in the Pemigewasset river, called the Pool. The pine was almost 175 feet tall, and had a circumference of about 16 feet. It fell during the hurricane in 1938. Workers used a sixty foot piece of it, put it across the river to form the base of the bridge, and using wood from other trees downed by the hurricane, built a footbridge to cover the pine and protect it.
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Why were these wooden bridges covered back then?
Among the many reasons-
-increasing longevity of wooden bridges by protecting it from the elements,
-providing shelter in bad weather,
-helping cattle get over the bridge without a stampede (caused by animals getting alarmed by gushing water),
-making the bridges stronger and aesthetically appealing.
Bad weather later in the day kept me from visiting the Bartlett covered bridge. However, the following day was nice. The next bridge on my list was at Bath, NH.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and built in 1832, the Bath Bridge as we see today is the fifth bridge at the location. The first, built at a cost of about $366, was destroyed in a flood, and floods were also responsible for the destruction of the second and third bridge. The fourth was a victim of fire.
The fifth one was built at a final cost of about $2900.
It initially had hewn arches, and new overlapping arches were added to strengthen it in 1920.
Interestingly, back then, cattle movement across the bridge was believed to be a major cause of weakening of bridges. Horses were prohibited to trot on this one.
Close up of the support system.
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Not too far from the Bath Covered Bridge, is the Bath-Haverhill Covered Bridge.
Built in 1829, it is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The details of the history behind the only bridge ever constructed at this site are on the signs one finds near, and on the bridge.
Walking across the bridge takes you to another era!
Finally, the Creamery Covered Bridge at Brattleboro, Vermont.
The lattice truss designed by American architect Ithiel Town can be seen in this picture and gives it an old-world charm.
The side walkway was added to the bridge in 1920. The bridge was closed to traffic in 2010.
****************************************************************************************************************
The first few days were all about lighthouses, which were one of the highlights of this vacation. When we left the coast for the mountains in New Hampshire, I knew covered bridges were scattered all over. My first encounter was with this charmer at the Flume Gorge. As we hiked on the trail, there it was! The Flume Bridge- over the Pemigewasset river.
Pemigewasset means 'swift and rapid current' in the Abenaki Indian language.
The date on a sign on the bridge says 1886, but the New Hampshire government website says that the bridge was built in 1871.
Seeing this beauty justified my decision to include them in my list of things to see. We made our way on the path to the other side of the bridge to continue with our hike. After walking over a mile, the Sentinel Pine Covered bridge lay ahead.
We walked down to it, and joined a few people who were taking pictures of the very scenic views around.
Built in 1939, it gets its name from a giant Sentinel Pine tree that stood on a cliff near a deep water basin in the Pemigewasset river, called the Pool. The pine was almost 175 feet tall, and had a circumference of about 16 feet. It fell during the hurricane in 1938. Workers used a sixty foot piece of it, put it across the river to form the base of the bridge, and using wood from other trees downed by the hurricane, built a footbridge to cover the pine and protect it.
.
Why were these wooden bridges covered back then?
Among the many reasons-
-increasing longevity of wooden bridges by protecting it from the elements,
-providing shelter in bad weather,
-helping cattle get over the bridge without a stampede (caused by animals getting alarmed by gushing water),
-making the bridges stronger and aesthetically appealing.
Bad weather later in the day kept me from visiting the Bartlett covered bridge. However, the following day was nice. The next bridge on my list was at Bath, NH.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and built in 1832, the Bath Bridge as we see today is the fifth bridge at the location. The first, built at a cost of about $366, was destroyed in a flood, and floods were also responsible for the destruction of the second and third bridge. The fourth was a victim of fire.
The fifth one was built at a final cost of about $2900.
It initially had hewn arches, and new overlapping arches were added to strengthen it in 1920.
Interestingly, back then, cattle movement across the bridge was believed to be a major cause of weakening of bridges. Horses were prohibited to trot on this one.
Close up of the support system.
Not too far from the Bath Covered Bridge, is the Bath-Haverhill Covered Bridge.
Built in 1829, it is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The details of the history behind the only bridge ever constructed at this site are on the signs one finds near, and on the bridge.
Walking across the bridge takes you to another era!
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The Robbins Nest Covered Bridge in Vermont was built in 1962, and stands on private property. It is not a historic bridge, but is authentic in replicating the design and construction of a bridge that stood nearby and was swept away in 1927 in a flood.
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As we continued with our drive, this interesting bridge drew my attention. Originally called the Victorian Village Covered Bridge, it was built in 1872. It was restored in 1967 and now stands at the Vermont Country Store in Rockingham. It is now called the Kissing Bridge.
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Finally, the Creamery Covered Bridge at Brattleboro, Vermont.
Built in 1879, it is Brattleboro's last surviving bridge built in the nineteenth century.
The lattice truss designed by American architect Ithiel Town can be seen in this picture and gives it an old-world charm.
The side walkway was added to the bridge in 1920. The bridge was closed to traffic in 2010.
It was such pleasure to get to see these bridges. Surprisingly, I had not watched Bridges of Madison County (the movie) until now! Or I would have been familiar with these beautiful structures twenty years ago. Today, these bridges are mostly tourist attractions- symbols of life over a hundred years ago. On one hand, life was simpler back then, and slow. However, the challenges they had to face were immense. Reading up about the bridges drove home that fact even more. Though natural disasters pose a threat even today, other problems with things we take for granted today, posed risks for those folks.
We, as a people, keep moving on- on a quest to become more liberated! Trying to make lives simpler than they were before. Have we really been successful at that?
Do chime in with your thoughts! They are always appreciated.
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