Skip to main content

Maple Street Covered Bridge - Fairfax, Vermont

Image
By

 


Also known as the Fairfax Covered Bridge, the Maple Street Covered Bridge spans 57 feet across the Mill Brook along Maple Street in Fairfax, Vermont. The bridge was initially built in 1865 by Kingsbury and Stone, utilizing a Town Lattice truss design for the covered bridge. This covered bridge appears wider than many covered bridges in Vermont, owing to its 17 foot wide deck width and low clearance.

The Maple Street Covered Bridge was almost lost due to flooding in early November 1927, following a very wet October in northern New England. During the late morning and early afternoon on November 3, 1927, rainfall records were set for both hourly density and single storm totals. It was estimated that a cubic mile of water had been lifted off the Atlantic Ocean and deposited on Vermont as a result of a dissipating tropical storm. Four of the five covered bridges that were located in Fairfax, Vermont were destroyed, with the only bridge being saved was the covered bridge on Maple Street. That bridge was taken off its abutments and drifted downstream, where it rested against some trees. After the bridge was brought back to its abutments after the flood, it was thought by some people that the bridge was reinstalled with its original east end facing west, which makes it seem to lean. Perhaps the idea was to get the bridge operating again quickly, given that all of the other covered bridges in town had been destroyed.

The covered bridge was rehabilitated in 1990 and 2002 by Jan Lewandowski of Restoration and Traditional Building, who has worked on several covered bridges across Vermont. Repairs were made to the upper chord, truss web, king posts, roofers, and rafters in the 2002 restoration, which was deemed necessary after a truck driver caused damage to the bridge. With that restoration, the bridge's lean was also repaired. Today, you can find the Maple Street Covered Bridge in an idyllic setting that meshes well within the village center of Fairfax.





How to Get There:



Sources and Links:
Bridgehunter.com - Fairfax Covered Bridge 45-06-02
Vermont Covered Bridge Society - The Maple Street Covered Bridge
VTGrandpa.com - Fairfax, Vermont and the Flood of November 1927
Labels:
Location: Fairfax Covered Bridge, Maple St, Fairfax, VT 05454, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rep. Sue Myrick's letter to Gov. Easley and Sect. Tippett published in Charlotte Observer

By
US. Representative Sue Myrick's (R-Charlotte) letter to North Carolina's Governor Mike Easley and NC Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett was published in the Friday, November 30th edition of the Charlotte Observer . Why are we delaying the completion of 1-485 in Charlotte again? I read in The Charlotte Observer how rising prices of materials are leading to the delay. Why didn't these same rising costs delay the loops in Fayetteville and Wilmington? Why are we building loops in Fayetteville and Wilmington before we complete the one in Charlotte? We were working on the one in Charlotte back when I was mayor. That was 20 years ago! ... Last I looked Charlotte was the largest city in the state. There seems to be no recognition of that fact in Raleigh. No recognition that we are at a standstill with traffic. No recognition that we have a traffic problem. Nor is there any recognition of the fact that the state DOT utterly botched up the southern leg of our yet to be completed ...
Post a Comment
Read more

New River Gorge National Park & Preserve - Sandstone Falls

By
The New River, which runs through New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, is best known for its dramatic rapids and whitewater adventures.  Those features begin at one of the river's widest points: Sandstone Falls. From the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk a look at just a small part of the falls. Though the vertical drop of roughly 20 feet is less than many other well-known waterfalls in the state, the falls' expanse, where the river approaches 1500 feet wide, makes Sandstone Falls impressive.   The Boardwalk Trail leads to a better vantage point of the overall falls. It is a great spot for photography, fishing, or laying out in the sun. Access to the falls is relatively easy: from Hinton, cross the New River on Highway 20, then turn right onto CR 26 and follow New River Road to the Sandstone Falls Parking Area. The Island Loop Trail is a short detour off the Boardwalk Trail and shows a quieter side of the area. At Sandstone Falls, you will find a variety of activities fr...
Post a Comment
Read more

I-785 first "signed" nine years ago Friday.

By
This is where Google news alerts really come in handy. It appears that nine years ago tomorrow, there was a ceremony 'dedicating' US 29 from Greensboro to Danville as Interstate 785. From the opening of a 1998 Greensboro News & Record Article: "Say goodbye to U.S. 29. Say hello to Interstate 785. In a name change billed as an enhancement of "economic development," Reps. Virgil Goode of Virginia and Richard Burr of North Carolina will speak today at a ceremony marking the designation of U.S. 29 as part of the interstate highway system. It begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Piedmont Triad Visitors..." A few things have changed in the nine years. I'd love to say US 29 has now become fully integrated as Interstate 785, but that's not the item that is different today than nine years ago. Here's the change....North Carolina U.S. Representative Richard Burr is now North Carolina U.S. Senator Richard Burr. Other than that, there are a few ...
Post a Comment
Read more