Burkeville Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Burkeville Covered Bridge
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Burkeville Covered Bridge
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Main Poland Road at South River, Conway, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1870 |
| Architect | Sylvanus P. Sherman |
| NRHP reference No. | 88001456 |
| Added to NRHP | September 9, 1988 |
The Burkeville Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge located in Conway, Massachusetts. It carries Main Poland Road over the South River. This bridge was likely built in 1870. It's a special example of an old covered bridge because of its unique design. It's also one of the few covered bridges from the 1800s that are still standing in Massachusetts today. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, which means it's recognized as an important historical site.
About the Burkeville Covered Bridge
The Burkeville Covered Bridge is found in a small, old industrial area called Burkeville. This village is just west of the main part of Conway. The bridge helps Main Poland Road cross the South River, not far from Massachusetts Route 116.
This bridge is built using a special type of design called a kingrod truss. The main part of the bridge, called the truss, is about 106.5 inches (2.71 m) long. The road on the bridge is wide enough for one car, about 13 feet 6 inches (4.11 m) across.
The bridge has a sloped metal roof, like a house roof, and its sides are covered with wooden boards placed up and down. What makes its wooden structure unique is that it uses strong iron rods to help carry the weight. These iron rods pull the load upwards to the top part of the bridge's frame. Some parts of the bridge's frame have been fixed or made stronger with steel pieces over the years.
A Bridge Through Time
People believe the very first bridge at this spot was built around 1850. This was when Main Poland Road was changed to fit the water systems used by factories in Burkeville.
The bridge we see today was built in 1870. This happened after the first bridge was badly damaged by a big flood in 1869. The Burkeville Covered Bridge has faced many challenges over its long life.
It was closed after a very strong storm, the 1938 New England hurricane, made it weak. After that, it had a lot of repairs. In the years that followed, the stone supports under the bridge were covered with concrete to make them stronger.
In 1975, part of its roof fell in because of heavy snow. But volunteers from the town worked together to fix it. The bridge was closed again in 1985 because it wasn't safe. After more repairs and updates, it finally reopened for cars in November 2013. It's amazing that this old bridge is still standing and being used today!
