Bedell Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bedell Bridge |
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Former Bedell Bridge from Vermont side, c.1960
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| Coordinates | 44°02′43″N 72°04′27″W / 44.04528°N 72.07417°W |
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Bedell Covered Bridge
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Newbury, Vermont and Haverhill, New Hampshire |
| Area | 1 acre (0.4 ha) |
| Architectural style | Burr truss covered bridge |
| NRHP reference No. | 75002171 |
| Added to NRHP | May 28, 1975 |
| Crosses | Connecticut River |
| Locale | Newbury, Vermont and Haverhill, New Hampshire |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Burr truss covered bridge |
| Total length | 396 ft (121 m) |
| History | |
| Construction end | 1805, 1823, ?, 1866, 1978 |
| Opened | July 22, 1979 |
| Closed | 1823, 1841, 1862, July 4, 1866, September 14, 1979 |
The Bedell Bridge was a special kind of covered bridge that crossed the Connecticut River. This river forms the border between Newbury, Vermont and Haverhill, New Hampshire. It was built using a design called a Burr truss.
For a long time, the Bedell Bridge was the second-longest covered bridge in the United States. It was about 382 feet (116 meters) long. The bridge had two main sections. These sections rested on a stone support in the middle of the river. They also rested on stone supports on each river bank. The bridge was about 23 feet (7 meters) wide. The part cars drove on was about 18.5 feet (5.6 meters) wide.
Most of the bridge was in New Hampshire. This is because the state line is at the low-water mark on the Vermont side of the river. Only the very end of the bridge, where it met the land, was in Vermont. Today, the area around where the bridge once stood is part of the 74-acre Bedell Bridge State Park in Haverhill, New Hampshire.
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
The Story of the Bedell Bridge
Imagine this: five different bridges have stood in this very spot! The Bedell Bridge site has a long and interesting history.
Early Bridges and Disasters
The first bridge was built in 1805. It was badly damaged in 1823. Workers quickly rebuilt it that same year. But sadly, a flood washed it away in 1841.
A third bridge was built, but it was also carried away by a spring flood in 1862. Then, a fourth bridge was destroyed by a big storm on July 4, 1866. A new bridge, the fifth one, was built in the same year, 1866.
A Long-Lasting Bridge and a Community Effort
This fifth bridge lasted for 92 years! It was a very important crossing for people in the area. However, it was closed to traffic in 1958. By 1973, it was so damaged that people planned to tear it down.
But many people loved the Bedell Bridge. A group called the "Save the Bedell Bridge Committee" was formed. They worked hard and raised $250,000 to rebuild the bridge! The rebuilding work was finished by 1978. A new park, Bedell Bridge State Park, was also created near the bridge.
The bridge was celebrated again on July 22, 1979. But just a short time later, on September 14, 1979, a powerful windstorm blew it away. It was a sad day for everyone who had worked so hard to save it.
Today, only the state park remains. You can still see the stone supports (called abutments) on the river banks. There is also a stone support (called a pier) still standing in the middle of the river. These are reminders of the many bridges that once stood there.
Who Owned the Bridge?
When the bridge was first built, it was owned by private people. They charged a small fee, called a toll, for people to cross it. This was how they made money from the bridge.
In 1916, the towns of Newbury and Haverhill bought the bridge together. They stopped charging a toll, making it free for everyone to use. Later, in 1967, the state of New Hampshire took over ownership of the bridge.
Images for kids
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The site where the bridge once stood, with a pier still in the river.
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A closer look at the pier, with a tree growing on top.
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New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 136 tells more about the bridge.
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This is a memorial marker for the bridge.
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People standing on the eastern abutment, showing how big it is.
