Skip to main content

Holmes Creek Covered Bridge - Charlotte, Vermont

Image
By

 


Located in Charlotte, Vermont, and also known as the Lake Shore Covered Bridge, the Holmes Creek Covered Bridge is one of the Green Mountain State's more unique covered bridges. While many covered bridges in Vermont are nestled on back country roads or around quaint villages, the Holmes Creek Covered Bridge has the distinction of being the only historic covered bridge located within the eyesight of Lake Champlain. In fact, it was such a nice, early November day that I quickly ventured over to the Lake Champlain shore from the covered bridge.

The Holmes Creek Covered Bridge was built in 1870 by Leonard Sherman. The covered bridge is built with a King truss style along with a tied arch, just one of three tied arch covered bridges found in Vermont. The bridge has a few other claims to fame, being one of the shortest covered bridges in New England at 41 feet in length, and the covered bridge in Vermont with the lowest elevation at 112 feet above sea level. It is rumored that the Holmes Creek Covered Bridge was preceded by a bridge built in 1840, but this hasn't been proven in town records. But when the Holmes Creek Covered Bridge was getting ready to be built, the Charlotte town selectmen specified that the bridge's width and height be "a load of hay, high and wide" in order for traffic to pass through.

In 1974, the Holmes Creek Covered Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1993, the covered bridge received extensive renovations courtesy of Milton Graton Associates of New Hampshire. But beyond the covered bridge itself, the area around the bridge also has some juicy historical tidbits. During the late 1800s, the Holmes family (for whom Holmes Creek is named) ran the largest apple orchard in New England, not far from the bridge. In Lake Champlain, there are submerged pilings, which is the last remaining evidence of a pier where fruit from the orchard was loaded onto boats and taken to destinations both far and near.


The south portal of the Holmes Creek Covered Bridge.

Historical plaque.

Inside the covered bridge

North portal of the covered bridge.

Lake Champlain. You can see the Adirondacks of New York State in the distance.

View of the Holmes Creek Covered Bridge from the mouth of the Holmes Creek.

Looking north towards Charlotte Beach, located just north of the covered bridge on Lake Road.



How to Get There:



Sources and Links:
Vermont Covered Bridge Society - The Lake Shore Covered Bridge
Pond Mountain Inn - Holmes Creek Covered Bridge
Traveling for History - Holmes Creek Covered Bridge in Charlotte, Vermont
Labels:
Location: Holmes Creek Covered Bridge, 1473 Lake Rd, Charlotte, VT 05445, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grand Loop Road of Yellowstone National Park

By
  Grand Loop Road is a 140 mile loop highway which traverses the interior of Yellowstone National Park.  Grand Loop Road connects all of the major attractions and geological features of Yellowstone National Park along with the entrance roads.  Grand Loop Road is a seasonal highway and despite some conjecture never has been part of the US Route System.   Part 1; the history of Grand Loop Road The majority of history pertaining to Grand Loop Road was taken from the below National Park Service article: Historic Roads - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) Yellowstone was declared the first National Park of the United States on March 1st, 1872.  The first real highway to access Yellowstone National Park came in 1873 when a tolled facility was constructed from Bozeman, Montana via Yankee Jim Canyon to Mammoth Hot Springs.  Numerous attempts were made to fund construction of roadway infrastructure during the early years of Yellows...
Post a Comment
Read more

The last 1956-63 era California Sign State Route Spade?

By
Along southbound California State Route 170 (the Hollywood Freeway Extension) approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange a white California State Route 134 Sign State Route Spade can be observed on guide sign.  These white spades were specifically used during the 1956-63 era and have become increasingly rare.  This blog is intended to serve as a brief history of the Sign State Route Spade.  We also ask you as the reader, is this last 1956-63 era Sign State Route Spade or do you know of others?  Part 1; the history of the California Sign State Route Spade Prior to the Sign State Route System, the US Route System and the Auto Trails were the only highways in California signed with reassurance markers.  The creation of the US Route System by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926 brought a system of standardized reassurance shields to major highways in California.  Early efforts to create a Sign State Route ...
Post a Comment
Read more

California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway

By
From 2017 through to early 2019 I drove the majority of the California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway from CA 89 southwest to CA 99. CA 70 is an approximately 178.5 mile state highway which starts at US 395 near the Nevada State Line and travels west through the Feather River Canyon to CA 99.  CA 70 is often referred to as the Feather River Highway" given it's close association with the river.  Historically CA 70 was previously signed as US 40A and CA 24.  The Legislative Routes prior to the 1964 California Highway Renumbering that made up the current route of CA 70 are as follows: -  Legislative Route Number 21 from US 395 westward to Oroville. -  LRN 87 from Oroville south to Marysville. -  LRN 232 from Marysville to the current junction with CA 99.  CA 70 was even dual signed with CA 99 into Sacramento on what was LRN 232 for a time. The change from US 40A/LRN 21/LRN 87/LRN 232 can be seen by comparing the 1963 State Highway Ma...
Post a Comment
Read more