Slate Covered Bridge - New Hampshire

The Slate Covered Bridge is a 143 foot long covered lattice through truss covered bridge that spans over the Ashuelot River in Swanzey, New Hampshire. One of six covered bridges found in Swanzey, this bridge is the second covered bridge to stand at this location on Westport Village Road (which was a former alignment of NH 10). Like the previous bridge at this location, this one continues to be called Slate Covered Bridge after the Slate family that had owned a farm to the north of the bridge.

The original bridge was erected in 1862 at a cost of $1,850.64 with a Town truss and was a couple feet longer than the current covered bridge. It was built to replace the previous bridge that crossed the river at this location, which had collapsed in 1842 as William Wheelock and his oxen were crossing it. Despite the collapse sending them all into the river, it was a blessing that neither Wheelock nor his oxen were hurt. Even still, Wheelock engaged an attorney from Keene to seek damages from the Town of Swanzey as a result of being on the bridge while it collapsed into the Ashuelot River.

Due to the effects of time, the bridge began to show wear and tear over the years. In the early 1990s, talk of fundraising to help with the rehabilitation of the bridge began. In 1987, the bridge was damaged by a snow plow and was repaired at a cost of $2,000. However, before the bridge could be rehabilitated any further, it was destroyed on March 8, 1993, when it was set on fire. There was a suspect who was tried for the arson, but the case against him was weak from the start. The case weakened further in late 1993 when the state failed to discover gasoline or any other accelerant that was being used to burn the bridge down. The case went to trial in December 1993 and the suspect found not guilty of the act of arson. Nobody else was ever charged and the arson remains unsolved.

Undeterred, the Town of Swanzey decided to have a new covered bridge erected in its place, and opted to keep the same name for the new bridge. Hoyle Tanner of Manchester, New Hampshire was selected for the design of the new wooden Slate Covered Bridge under the New Hampshire Department of Transportation Municipally Managed Bridge program. They provided engineering design services for the new bridge including Town Lattice trusses, floor beams and floor decking, roof rafters and purlins, and cross bracing, along with fire detection and protection systems. They also provided inspection and evaluation of existing stone abutments for reuse. Wright Construction Company of Mount Holly, Vermont assisted in the construction of the new covered bridge as well. The new Slate Covered Bridge opened in 2001 with a l5 ton live load, which was five times that of the original covered bridge.

How to Get There:

Sources and Links:
Town of Swanzey - Covered Bridge Information
New Hampshire Covered Bridge - Slate Bridge
Hoyle Tanner - Slate Covered Bridge
NH Tour Guide.com - Slate Covered Bridge Swanzey NH
Bridgehunter.com - Slate Covered Bridge 29-03-06
Ontfin.com - Slate Covered Bridge, New Hampshire
The Pennsylvania Rambler - Slate Covered Bridge
Miles to Go - Snapshots: Covered Bridges of S.W. New Hampshire

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...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog