Downers Covered Bridge (Upper Falls Covered Bridge)

Downers Covered Bridge (Upper Falls Covered Bridge) - Vermont

Also known as the Upper Falls Covered Bridge, the Downers Covered Bridge spans 129 feet across the Black River in Weathersfield, Vermont. The bridge was named for Abraham Downer, who was an early settler of Weathersfield. Downer and his descendants gave the name to the area where VT 106 and VT 131 now meet, known as Downer's Four Corners or Downers. Being in the general area, the bridge had become known as the Downers Covered Bridge.

The Downers Covered Bridge was built in 1840 by James Tasker, who was also the builder of the Salmond and Titcomb (Stoughton) Covered Bridges located nearby. Tasker designed the Downers Covered Bridge with a covered Town Lattice through truss design, plus the portals were intricately constructed to simulate a Greek Revival architecture, which was popular at the time (but not necessarily with covered bridges).

The covered bridge was extensively restored in 1975 and 1976 by famed covered bridge builders Milton Graton and Associates of Ashland, New Hampshire. Graton's team rebuilt the trusses, raised the bridge by 2.5 feet so that water could not flow in and damage the timbers, and reframed the floor with heavier timbers so the bridge would be more durable for modern traffic. In raising the bridge, that may be why you see one stone abutment and one concrete abutment for the bridge. Then in 2007, additional renovations by Wright Construction of Mount Holly, Vermont took place for items that were not addressed during the earlier restoration. This restoration included replacing parts of the bottom lower chord and adding a fifth chord to help strengthen the bridge span.

How to Get There:

Sources and Links:
Vermont Covered Bridge Society - Upper Falls Covered Bridge
Bridgehunter.com - Downers Covered Bridge 45-14-08
Covered Bridges on Two Wheels - Upper Falls Bridge

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