Skip to main content

West Dummerston Covered Bridge

Image
By
Most covered bridges in Vermont or anywhere else in the United States aren't terribly long. Most are under 120 feet.  The West Dummerston Covered Bridge is depending on the source anywhere from 267, 271 or 280 feet in length.  It is a two span covered bridge that crosses the West River in the Town of Dummerston.

The bridge is the longest covered bridge that is entirely within the state of Vermont.  The Cornish-Windsor bridge is longer at 449 feet but is shared by both Vermont and the State of New Hampshire.   The West Dummerston Bridge was built in 1872 and is of the town lattice truss design.  The bridge is actually the fourth crossing of the West River at or near this site.  Three prior bridges were built prior to the the 1872 bridge and all were washed away by floods.  (1)  The bridge was built by Celeb B. Lamson and is the only surviving bridge that he had built. (2)  The bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in 1993 and only reopened after an extensive rehabilitation was completed in 1998. (1)  The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

The West Dummerston is easily accessible and often photographed.  There are a handful of spots along Vermont 30 to take photos of this bridge.  The bridge is also a popular spot for fishing or swimming in the West River.  Additionally, the bridge seems to be an inspiration point for many artists as painters or even musicians find the tranquility of this location great to practice or even perform their talents.

Bridge Specs:
  • Number: 45-13-02
  • Design: Town Lattice
  • Length: 280 feet
  • Built: 1872
  • Crosses: West River
Sources & Links:
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2018 Mojave Road Trip Part 2; The deadly desert highway (California State Route 127 and Nevada State Route 373)

By
After leaving Barstow via Old Highway 58 my next destination was in Death Valley.  To access Death Valley from rural San Bernardino County required a trek on north on Interstate 15 to California State Route 127 which becomes Nevada State Route 373 at the state line. Along I-15 I encountered the road sign oddity that is Zzyzx Road about eight miles south of Baker.   Zzyzx Road is a four mile road that used to go to the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa.   The spa was founded in the 1940s and the owner made up the name "Zzyzx" to claim it was the last word in the English Language.  The spa has been shut down since the 1970s and is now part of a Desert Studies Center for California State University. The southern terminus of CA 127 in Baker is located at I-15 exit 246.  CA 127 is a 91 mile north/south highway which runs to the Nevada State Line in Inyo County.  CA 127 is called Death Valley Road from I-15 northward.  South of CA 127 ...
4 comments
Read more

Finding the Pre-Emption Road of New York State

By
  The Pre-Emption Road (or rather a series of roads named Pre-Emption Road) follows a survey line called the Pre-Emption Line, drawn in the early days of the United States. The story begins with Massachusetts and New York having competing land claims to modern day Western New York State that have their roots in colonial charters granted by the British. After the Revolutionary War ended, this land became the frontier of the nation and its settlement became a priority for the new American government. During this era, there were a lot of competing land claims that needed to be settled. It was no different with the land claims between New York State and Massachusetts. On November 30, 1786, Massachusetts and New York sent representatives to Hartford, Connecticut to resolve their competing land claims. In less than three weeks, the representatives had reached a compromise. Massachusetts would receive pre-emption rights, meaning the right to sell the land after the Indian title ...
Post a Comment
Read more

What's In a Name?: When the Roads Really Do Tell a Story

By
  Our tagline on the Gribblenation blog is "because every road tells a story". Some roads tell different stories than others. Along our travels, we may see historic markers that tell us a little story about the roads we travel or the places we pass by. Some historic markers are more general, as to telling us who lived where or what old trail traversed between two towns. During my travels across New York State and other states or provinces, I pass by many historic markers, some with interesting or amusing references to roads. I wanted to highlight a few of the markers I've seen along my travels around the Empire State and help tell their stories. Those stories may be as specific as explaining the tales of a tree that was used to help measure a distance of eight miles from Bath to Avoca in Steuben County, as referenced on the Eight Mile Tree historical marker above. They may also help point the way along historical roads first used centuries ago, or may help tell a local l...
Post a Comment
Read more