Robyville Covered Bridge

Robyville Covered Bridge - Maine

The Robyville Covered Bridge is located to the northwest of Bangor, Maine, near Kenduskeag Village and Corinth in the settlement of Robyville. Spanning 97 feet across Kenduskeag Stream, this Howe truss designed covered bridge was built during the 1870s and happens to be the only completely shingled covered bridge in Maine, and may be one of the few covered bridges in the country with shingles all around. The shingles are not only at each portal, but also on the siding as well.

The covered bridge was built by Royal A. Sweet at the cost of $1,375.06. Royal Sweet was a skilled carpenter and tradesman in the area, having manufactured barns and sleds along with the Robyville Covered Bridge. There is some contesting as to when the covered bridge was built, as the sign on the bridge states the bridge was built in 1876, but town records seem to indicate that the Robyville Bridge was built a few years earlier, in 1870 or 1871. The abutments and piers of this covered bridge are of massive granite stones, which have been mortared. The granite blocks interlock in the abutment so that it can survive high waters that have washed out covered bridges of similar age.

Over the years, improvements have been made to the Robyville Bridge to keep it in sound condition, even if the traffic it sees is light as it is located on a country side road. In 1982, $17,550 was appropriated from a fund to aid in reconstruction. The bridge was then reinforced in 1984 to carry local traffic. Headache bars were also installed at both sides of the bridge along Covered Bridge Road to prevent vehicles that are over height to cross the bridge.

I visited the Robyville Covered Bridge in the spring of 2022. It was a nice little detour to one of Maine's few remaining historic covered bridges.

How to Get There:

Sources and Links:
Maine Department of Transportation - Robyville Bridge, Corinth, Maine
Corinth Historical Society - Robeyville Covered Bridge
Structurae - Robyville Bridge
DaleJTravis.com - Maine Covered Bridges List

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