Skip to main content

Rexleigh Covered Bridge

Located just outside of picturesque Salem, New York, the Rexleigh Covered Bridge is one of four covered bridges that are still standing in Washington County, and one of thee covered bridges that cross the Batten Kill while in New York. There are more covered bridges that cross the Batten Kill in neighboring Vermont. The Rexleigh Covered Bridge is also the location for a popular swimming hole. The 107 foot long bridge was originally built by Reuben Comins and George Wadsworth in 1874 and is one of only three Howe truss bridges remaining in New York State. The bridge was supposedly prefabricated in Troy, New York and transported by rail to Rexleigh where it was reassembled in place. One unique feature of the Rexleigh Covered Bridge are the cast iron shoes, which were used to fit the bridge timbers into joints with iron rods. This feature has been incorporated into no other known covered bridge in the United States of America.

The Rexleigh Covered Bridge has had its share of events over the years. A number of flooding events almost washed the bridge downstream or caused the bridge supports to settle. By 1979, a decision to demolish and replace the bridge was made, but thanks to local support, the old covered bridge was saved. In 1984 and again in 2007, the bridge was rehabilitated. If you visit the bridge today, you will find a quiet pastoral scene. Looking at the Batten Kill from the bridge, there are remnants of what looks like an old mill upstream from the bridge as well. So there are many reasons to enjoy this quiet, red covered bridge.

Old mill?

Looking upstream at the Batten Kill.

One of the portals to the covered bridge.

Side profile of the Rexleigh Covered Bridge.

The area around the bridge is also a popular swimming hole.


Sources and Links:
New York State Covered Bridge Society - Rexleigh Covered Bridge
Town of Salem, New York - Around The Town

How to Get There:

Crossposted to http://unlockingnewyork.blogspot.com/2018/02/rexleigh-covered-bridge.html

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Old River Lock & Control Structure (Lettsworth, LA)

  The Old River Control Structure (ORCS) and its connecting satellite facilities combine to form one of the most impressive flood control complexes in North America. Located along the west bank of the Mississippi River near the confluence with the Red River and Atchafalaya River nearby, this structure system was fundamentally made possible by the Flood Control Act of 1928 that was passed by the United States Congress in the aftermath of the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927 however a second, less obvious motivation influenced the construction here. The Mississippi River’s channel has gradually elongated and meandered in the area over the centuries, creating new oxbows and sandbars that made navigation of the river challenging and time-consuming through the steamboat era of the 1800s. This treacherous area of the river known as “Turnbull’s Bend” was where the mouth of the Red River was located that the upriver end of the bend and the Atchafalaya River, then effectively an outflow

Interstate 10S and the original Interstate 110 in California

Interstate 10S is a short spur of Interstate 10 along San Bernardino Freeway in downtown Los Angeles.  Interstate 10S begins at the Santa Ana Freeway (US Route 101) and extends east to Interstate 5 where it merges into mainline Interstate 10.  Interstate 10S is one of the oldest freeway segments in Los Angeles having been part of US Routes 60, 70 and 99 when it was part of the corridor of the Ramona Expressway.  The current corridor of Interstate 10S was assigned as Chargeable Corridor H following the passage of the 1956 Federal Highway Aid Act.  Interstate 110 was a short-lived designation which comprised the segment San Bernardino Freeway from US Route 101 to Interstate 5 between 1964-1968.  The original Interstate 110 was dropped as a Chargeable Corridor during 1965 and consolidated as Interstate 10S during 1968.   The original Interstate 110 can be seen as the blog cover photo as it was featured on the 1964 Division of Highways Map.  Below the entire 0.65-mile length of Interstate

Vicksburg Bridge (Vicksburg, MS)

  Located a few hundred feet downriver from the Old Vicksburg Bridge, the Vicksburg Bridge, or the “New” Bridge, serves as the city’s vehicular crossing of the Mississippi River on the main highway connecting Vicksburg with northeastern Louisiana to the west and the state capital of Jackson to the east. The completion of the original Vicksburg Bridge in 1930 was seen as a huge success and the bridge proved to be a profitable entity for both road and railroad interests along the path of the Dixie Overland Highway and the subsequent US Highway 80 corridor. In the years after the creation of the National Interstate Highway System, planning commenced on a new bridge at the site that would relieve the congestion on the existing bridge while providing for a more modern crossing of the river that would be safe for all vehicles. The construction of the new bridge at Vicksburg was completed in 1973 and its design intentionally mimics that of its predecessor nearby. This was due in large part