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List of covered bridges in New Hampshire

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of New Hampshire covered bridges, old, new, and restored. There are 58 historic wooden covered bridges currently standing and assigned official numbers by the U.S. state of New Hampshire.[1] There are additional covered bridges extant in the state, some of which are on private property and not accessible to the public. The newest covered bridge known to have been constructed in the state is Chester's Wason Bridge, built in 2011 by the Timber Framers Guild.[2]

Standing covered bridges

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A map of numbered covered bridges in New Hampshire, 1967
Stark Covered Bridge, built in 1857, over the Upper Ammonoosuc River
Contoocook Railroad Bridge is the oldest covered railroad bridge of its kind in the United States
Conway is home to the Saco River Bridge, built in 1890
Sign for NH Covered Bridge No. 2 (Coombs Covered Bridge) along NH Route 10

Some bridges go by two or more names; this list uses the name posted on the bridge. The list is sortable—click on any column title to sort by Location, Waterbody, Year built, etc.

Name Location Waterbody Year built NH #[a] Notes
Allen Hollis Bridge[3] Woodstock Lost River 1981 Foot traffic only.
Ashuelot Bridge Ashuelot Ashuelot River 1864 1 Also called Village Bridge or Village Station Bridge.
Bacon Bridge[4] Pittsburg Connecticut River 1876 34 State calls it the Pittsburg–Clarksville Covered Bridge. Beside a rushing rapids. Leads to a meadow. Sign: "Bypass / Historic." Foot traffic only.
Bartlett Bridge[5] Bartlett Saco River 1851 50 Contains the Covered Bridge Gift Shoppe. Foot traffic only.
Bath Bridge Bath Ammonoosuc River 1832 28 Car and foot traffic.
Bement Bridge Bradford West Branch Warner River 1854 14 Car traffic only.
Blacksmith Shop Bridge[6] Cornish Mill Brook 1881 21 Foot traffic only.
Blair Bridge Campton Pemigewasset River 1869 41 Overhead sign: "Five dollars fine for riding or driving on this bridge faster than a walk." Car traffic only.
Blow-Me-Down Bridge Cornish Blow-me-down Brook 1877 23 Car traffic only.
Bog Bridge Andover Pleasant Brook 1887 16 Also called Cilleyville Bridge. Car traffic only.
Brundage Bridge[7] Grafton Mill Brook 1957 Rural. Foot traffic only.
Bump Bridge[8] Campton Beebe River 1972 43 Car traffic only.
Carlton Bridge Swanzey South Branch Ashuelot River 1869 7 Car traffic only.
Chester Bridge[9] Chester Wason Brook 2011 Also called Wason Pond Covered Bridge. Built by the Timber Framers Guild and volunteers. Foot traffic only.
Chocorua Ski and Beach Bridge[10] Tamworth Chocorua River 1992 Car traffic only.
Clark's Bridge[11] North Woodstock Pemigewasset River 1904 64 Part of the Clark's Bears compound. Railroad traffic only. Moved from Vermont, where it originally spanned the Winooski River, to its current location circa 1965.

Clark's Bridge is the only known covered railroad bridge still in active use.[12]

Cold River Bridge Langdon Cold River 1869 18 Also called McDermott Bridge. Foot traffic only.
Columbia Bridge Columbia Connecticut River 1911 33[b] Car traffic only.
Contoocook Railroad Bridge Contoocook Contoocook River 1849–50 10 Also called Hopkinton Railroad Covered Bridge. The state lists it simply as "Railroad Bridge". Oldest covered railroad bridge in the U.S.
Coombs Bridge Winchester Ashuelot River 1843 2 Car traffic only.
Corbin Bridge Newport North Branch Sugar River 1994 17 Car traffic only.
Cornish–Windsor Bridge Cornish, New Hampshire and Windsor, Vermont Connecticut River 1866 20 Longest wooden covered bridge in the U.S., 449 feet (137 m), until surpassed in 2008. Car traffic only.
Dalton Bridge Warner Warner River 1853 12 Car traffic only.
Dingleton Hill Bridge Cornish Mill Brook 1882 22 Car traffic only.
Durgin Bridge Sandwich Cold River 1869 45 Sign is on Route 113. Car traffic only.
Edgell Bridge[13] Lyme Clay Brook 1885 25 Car traffic only.
Flume Bridge[14] Lincoln Pemigewasset River 1886 39 Car traffic only.
Friendship Bridge Wentworth Baker River 1962; 2016 71 Constructed 1962 as Goffe's Mill Covered Bridge in Bedford.[15] Reconstructed in Wentworth in 2016. Named the Friendship Bridge by the Friends of Wentworth Parks and Recreation non-profit, owners of the bridge. Foot traffic only.
Groveton Bridge[16] Groveton Upper Ammonoosuc River 1852 32 No name plate. Has picnic tables inside. Sign: "Welcome to North Country ATV Trail System." Foot and ATV traffic only.
Hancock–Greenfield Bridge Hancock and Greenfield Contoocook River 1937 8 Also called County Bridge. Car traffic only.
Happy Corner Bridge[17] Pittsburg Perry Stream 1850s? 35 Decorated with Christmas lights. Posted "Fishermen: Fly Fishing Only" with rules. Car and foot traffic.
Haverhill–Bath Bridge Bath Ammonoosuc River 1829 27 The state lists it as the Bath–Haverhill Bridge. Spans a rushing spillway. Foot traffic only.
Henniker / New England College Henniker Contoocook River 1972 63 At New England College. Foot traffic only.
Jackson Bridge Jackson Ellis River 1876 51 Car and foot traffic.
HoodKroft Bridge[18] Derry Beaver Brook 1980s Part of the HoodKroft Country Club. Golf cart and foot traffic only.
Jack O Lantern Bridge[19] Woodstock Pond 1987 Part of the Jack O Lantern Resort and Golf Course.
Keniston Bridge Andover Blackwater River 1882 15 Car traffic only.
Little Red Bridge[20] Candia 1961 Part of Candia Woods Golf Links. Golf cart and foot traffic only.
Mechanic Street Bridge[21] Lancaster Israel River 1862 31 No name plate. Also called Israels River Bridge. Sign: "Built Lancaster, N.H. 1862". Rebuilt 2006. Car traffic only.
Melendy Pond Bridge[22] Hudson First Brook 1982 Foot traffic only.
Meriden Bridge Plainfield Bloods Brook 1880 24 Also called Mill Bridge. Car traffic only.
Mount Orne Bridge Lancaster Connecticut River 1911 30 No name plate; sign "1911 1983". Connects Lancaster, New Hampshire, and Lunenberg, Vermont. Car traffic only.
Nepalese Bridge[23] Randolph Mossy Glen Waterfalls 1968 Foot traffic only.
Nissitissit Foot Bridge[24] Brookline Nissitissit River 1978 Foot traffic only.
Packard Hill Bridge[25] Lebanon Mascoma River 1991 67 Car and foot traffic.
Pier Bridge Newport Sugar River 1907 57 Also called Chandler Station Bridge. Foot traffic only.
Prentiss Bridge Langdon Great Brook 1874 19 Shortest covered bridge in New Hampshire, 36 feet (11 m). Foot traffic only.
River Road Bridge[26] Pittsburg Perry Stream 1858 36 Shifted off its roadbed to one side. Needs repair. Foot traffic only.
Riverwalk Bridge[27] Littleton Ammonoosuc River 2004 Long footbridge connecting downtown and a park with weekly Farmer's Market. Plaque: "Built by the town of Littleton, N.H." Foot traffic only.
Rowell Bridge West Hopkinton Contoocook River 1853 9 Car traffic only.
Royal Crest Bridge[28] Nashua Spit Brook 1970 Part of Royal Crest Estates Apartments. Foot traffic only.
Saco River Bridge[29] Conway Saco River 1890 48 Car and foot traffic.
Sawyers Crossing Bridge Swanzey Ashuelot River 1859 6 Replaced an earlier bridge built in 1771. Car traffic only.
Sentinel Pine Bridge[30] Lincoln Pemigewasset River 1939 38 In Franconia Notch State Park at Flume Gorge. Foot traffic only.
Slate Bridge Swanzey Ashuelot River 2001 4 Destroyed by fire in 1993, rebuilt in 2001.
Smith Millennium Bridge[31] Plymouth Baker River 2001 44 Third bridge built on the site. "The strongest covered bridge in the world." Car and foot traffic.
Squam River Bridge[32] Ashland Squam River 1990 65 Car and foot traffic.
Stowell Road Bridge[33] Merrimack Baboosic Brook 1990 66 Car traffic only.
Stark Bridge Stark Upper Ammonoosuc River 1857 or 1862 37 Beautiful bridge decorated with pendant acorn finials and painted bright white. No name plate. In the center of town. Car and foot traffic.
Sulphite Railroad Bridge Franklin Winnipesaukee River 1896 62 Only remaining deck-covered railroad bridge in the U.S. Also called the "Upside Down Bridge" because the railroad ran over the top, now discontinued. Damaged by arson in 1980. No access.
Swift River Bridge Conway Swift River 1869 47 Foot traffic only.
Swiftwater Bridge Bath Wild Ammonoosuc River 1849 29 Car traffic only.
Tannery Hill Bridge[34] Gilford Gunstock River 1995 68 Plaque: "Constructed by the Gilford Rotary Club. Tim Andrews - Bridgebuilder." Foot traffic only.
Teixeira Park Bridge Peterborough Nubanusit Brook 1965 In Teixeira Park.
Turkey Jim's Bridge[35] Campton West Branch Brook 1958 42 Restored in 1958, washed out in 1964, restored in 2013. Inside the Branch Brook Campground. Foot traffic only.
Waterloo Bridge Warner Warner River 1840 13 Car traffic only.
Wentworth Golf Club[36] Jackson Ellis River 1991 Part of the Wentworth Golf Club course. Golf cart and foot traffic only.
West Swanzey Bridge Swanzey Ashuelot River 1832 5 Also called Thompson Bridge. Car and foot traffic.
Albany Bridge[37] Albany Swift River 1858 49 Also called Albany Bridge. Built in 1857, destroyed by windstorm in 1858, rebuilt in 1858. Car and foot traffic.
Whittier Bridge Ossipee Bearcamp River 1870s 46 Closed since 2008, currently located on dry land off of Nudd Road, restoration timeline unclear as of September 2019.[38] Bridge reinstalled over the river in 2022.
Wright's Bridge Newport Sugar River 1906 58 Foot traffic only.
Yankee Barn Bridge[39] Grantham Eastman Pond 1982 Part of the Eastman Community Association, not accessible to general public. Foot traffic only.
Stoney Morrell Bridge Conway Ditch 1999 70 On Kennett High School Campus.

Lost covered bridges

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This is a partial list of other covered bridges that once stood in New Hampshire.

Notes

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  1. ^ Covered bridge number, as issued by the state; extant bridges are not numbered sequentially.[1]
  2. ^ Columbia Bridge is listed on the state's website as No. 28, which appears to be a typo.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Bridge Name List". New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via NH.gov.
  2. ^ Taormina, Barbara (August 4, 2011). "Volunteers team up to build NH's 55th covered bridge". New Hampshire Union Leader. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2020 – via Wayback Machine.
  3. ^ Photo at Bridgehunter web site.
  4. ^ Photos at NH Tour Guide web site.
  5. ^ Photo at Manchester Union Leader's New Hampshire web page.
  6. ^ Photo at Manchester Union Leader's New Hampshire web page.
  7. ^ Photo at Bridgehunter web page.
  8. ^ Photo at NH Tour Guide web site.
  9. ^ Photo at Bridgehunter.
  10. ^ Photos at Dale Travis' "Round Barns & Covered Bridges" web page.
  11. ^ Photo at New Hampshire Official Government page.
  12. ^ Chandler, Kim Varney (2023). Covered bridges of New Hampshire. Portsmouth: Peter E. Randall Publisher. ISBN 978-1-942155-52-2.
  13. ^ Photo at New Hampshire's Official Government page.
  14. ^ Photo at James Walsh's Photography page.
  15. ^ "How the Goffe's Mill Bridge was saved from destruction: Dubois & King, Stan Graton team up to move structure from Bedford to Wentworth". NH Business Review. April 17, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  16. ^ Photo at New Hampshire's Official Government web site.
  17. ^ Photos at Dale Travis' "Round Barns & Covered Bridges" web page.
  18. ^ Photo at HoodKroft Country Club web site.
  19. ^ Photo on the Jack O Lantern History web page.
  20. ^ Photo at NH Golfer web site.
  21. ^ Photo and description at Official NH Covered Bridges page.
  22. ^ Photo at "New Hampshire Covered Bridges List" web page.
  23. ^ Photo of Mossy Glen at New England Waterfalls web page.
  24. ^ Photo and article at Manchester Union Leader's New Hampshire web page.
  25. ^ Photo and description at Official NH Covered Bridges page.
  26. ^ Photo at "New Hampshire Covered Bridges List" web page.
  27. ^ Photo at Upstate NH web site
  28. ^ Photo at Royal Crest Estates Apartments web page.
  29. ^ Photo at New Hampshire State Government web page.
  30. ^ Photo at NH State Parks web page.
  31. ^ Photo at the Manchester Union Leader's New Hampshire web page.
  32. ^ Photo at NH.Life web page.
  33. ^ Photo at Only in Your State web page.
  34. ^ Photo at Bridgehunter web site.
  35. ^ Photo at NH Tour Guide.
  36. ^ Photo on Wentworth Golf Club web page.
  37. ^ Photos at NH Tour Guide web site.
  38. ^ Steer, Daymond (September 18, 2019). "NHDOT returns Whittier Covered Bridge funding". The Conway Daily Sun. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  39. ^ Photo at Doug Hill Photo
  40. ^ a b "Androscoggin River Bridge". Berlin, New Hampshire History. November 8, 2018. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via Facebook. The old covered bridge crossing the Androscoggin River at Errol, 1939. It was built in 1860, and went out of service in 1941. This was one of two covered bridges in Errol, the other crossing Clear Stream. Both were replaced with steel bridges during a period of modernization.
  41. ^ "Monument now marks site of covered bridge". Nashua Telegraph. September 9, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  42. ^ "Merrimack Covered Bridge Is Burned". Nashua Telegraph. June 7, 1967. p. 1. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  43. ^ "Old Runnells Bridge Coming Down; No Effort to Save It". Nashua Telegraph. January 9, 1950. p. 1. Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  44. ^ "Turkey Hill Covered Bridge Site". merrimacknh.gov. Town of Merrimack. Retrieved July 1, 2020.

Further reading

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