Holmes Creek Covered Bridge - Charlotte, Vermont

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.