Carpenter Bridge (Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Carpenter Bridge
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Carpenter Bridge over the West Branch of the Palmer River
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Carpenter St. over west branch Rehoboth, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1873 |
| Built by | William Lake |
| Architectural style | Stone lintel |
| MPS | Rehoboth MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 83000641 |
| Added to NRHP | June 6, 1983 |
The Carpenter Bridge is a really old and special bridge in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. It carries Carpenter Street over the West Branch of the Palmer River. This bridge was built way back in 1873. It's important because it's the only stone bridge from the 1800s still standing in Rehoboth! Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Contents
What is the Carpenter Bridge?
The Carpenter Bridge is found in the middle of Rehoboth. This area is mostly countryside, a bit north of the town center. Carpenter Street goes from east to west, connecting Danforth and Perryville Roads. The bridge helps Carpenter Street cross the West Branch Palmer River.
How is the Bridge Built?
The bridge is made of stone and has two main sections. It uses large cap stones that rest on two stone supports called abutments. There's also a stone pier in the middle. All these parts are built from fieldstones found right in the local area.
The big cap stones that hold up the road are quite impressive. They can be up to ten feet long, three feet wide, and eighteen inches thick! The abutments and the middle pier are built using a method called "dry-laid stone." This means the stones are carefully stacked without using any mortar to hold them together.
The abutments also have low walls that stretch out a little on each side. The top part of the central pier spreads out to make the bridge wider. Layers of sand and gravel are placed between the stone structure and the road above.
History of the Carpenter Bridge
Long ago, Carpenter Street was actually an old Native American trail. English colonists later started using this trail as their own road. The very first bridge at this spot was made of wood. It was built around 1720, probably when the town officially recognized the street as a public road.
Who Built the Current Bridge?
The stone bridge you see today replaced that old wooden one in 1873. Building this new bridge cost $218.15, which was a lot of money back then! Only $15 of that was for materials. The town's road crew did all the construction work. They were led by a person named William Lake.
Many bridges like this one were built across the many streams in Rehoboth. However, most of those old stone bridges have since been replaced. Today, they've been updated with modern culverts or concrete bridges. This makes the Carpenter Bridge extra special as a rare survivor from the past.
