Skip to main content

Columbia Covered Bridge - North Stratford, New Hampshire and Lemington, Vermont

 


The Columbia Covered Bridge is the northernmost of the covered bridges that cross the border between the states of New Hampshire and Vermont. Connecting North Stratford, New Hampshire with Lemington, Vermont over the Connecticut River, this 146 foot long Howe truss designed covered bridge is just four miles south of Colebrook, New Hampshire. The Howe truss design was introduced around 1840 with its combination of wood and iron structural members, represents the transition in construction from wood to iron bridges. The bridge can handle one lane of traffic at a time, as it is only a little over 14 feet wide.

The Columbia Covered Bridge was built in 1912 to replace an earlier bridge that had been destroyed by a fire the previous year. The current covered bridge was built by Charles Babbitt. The bridge was rehabilitated by the State of New Hampshire in 1981 at a cost of $143,000. The Columbia Covered Bridge and the Mount Orne Covered Bridge in Lancaster, New Hampshire are the only highway bridges remaining in the State of New Hampshire which are supported by Howe trusses. Both bridges were completed in successive years (1911-1912) are are also the last covered bridges built on public highways during the historic period of covered bridge construction in New Hampshire and Vermont.

I've visited the Columbia Covered Bridge on more than one occasion. It is in a quiet corner of New England, leaving plenty of time with little distraction to observe and peacefully enjoy the surroundings of the covered bridge. There is also boating and fishing access for the Connecticut River adjacent to the bridge.


East bridge portal on the New Hampshire side of the Connecticut River.

Now on the Vermont side of the covered bridge. The state line is actually on the west side of the Connecticut River, so most of the bridge is in New Hampshire.

West bridge portal. The Columbia Covered Bridge is easily accessible from VT 102. US 3 isn't that far on the other side of the river, either.

The Columbia Covered Bridge on a glorious summer afternoon.

The Connecticut River sure looks inviting here.

Inside the covered bridge.

Columbia Bridge sign.


How to Get There:



Sources and Links:
Bridgehunter.com - Columbia Covered Bridge 45-05-02 / 29-04-07
New Hampshire Covered Bridges - Columbia Bridge
Northern Gateway Regional Chamber - Bridges of Coos County

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The 1915-era Teilman Bridge (the only known Concrete Pony Truss Bridge in California)

The Teilman Bridge is a semi-abandoned structure over Fresno Slough west of Burrell siding near the intersection of Elkhorn Avenue and Elkhorn Grade.  This structure is the only known Concrete Pony Truss Bridge constructed in California and was designed by Ingvart Teilman.  Teilman's Bridge would open in late 1915 when the Elkhorn Grade was the primary road between Fresno and Coalinga.  The structure would be replaced in 1991 but was left standing as it carries pipelines over Fresno Slough.  Part 1; the history of the Teilman Bridge In the early Twentieth Century the most direct highway between Fresno and Coalinga followed the Elkhorn Grade.  The Elkhorn Grade began at Fresno Slough a short distance west of Burrell siding.  From Fresno Slough the Elkhorn Grade followed a generally southwestern course through San Joaquin Valley into the Kettleman Hills towards Coalinga.   The Elkhorn Grade can be seen on the  1914 C.F. Weber map of Fresno Coun...

The Dummy Lights of New York

  A relic of the early days of motoring, dummy lights were traffic lights  that  were  placed  in the middle of a street intersection. In those early days, traffic shuffled through busy intersections with the help of a police officer who stood on top of a pedestal. As technology improved and electric traffic signals became commonplace, they were also  originally  positioned on a platform at the center of the intersection. Those traffic signals became known as  " dummy lights "  and were common until  traffic lights were moved  onto wires and poles that crossed above the intersection.  In New York State, only a handful of these dummy lights exist. The dummy lights  are found  in the Hudson Valley towns of Beacon and Croton-on-Hudson, plus there is an ongoing tug of war in Canajoharie in the Mohawk Valley, where their dummy light has been knocked down and replaced a few times. The dummy light in Canajoharie is currently...

Prunedale Road (Monterey County)

Prunedale Road is a short 2.6-mile-long frontage corridor of US Route 101 in the namesake Monterey County community of Prunedale.  Prior to 1932 US Route 101 bypassed Prunedale in favor of the San Juan Grade to the east.  Prunedale Road along with nearby Moro Road served as an alternative connecting highway between Salinas and San Juan Bautista.  Following the realignment of US Route 101 onto the Prunedale Cutoff the former through route along Prunedale Road would be rendered as a western frontage.   Part 1; the history of Prunedale Road Prunedale Road is located in and is named after the Monterey County community of Prunedale.  Said community was founded near the junction of San Migeul Canyon, Langley Canyon and Echo Valley.  Watsonville settler Charles Langley (namesake of Langley Canyon) was one of the prominent early community settlers.  The Prunedale Post Office would open for the first time in 1894 but would close by 1908.  Early agricu...