Cedar Swamp Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cedar Swamp Covered Bridge
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | Swamp Creek Road over Otter Creek, between Cornwall and Salisbury, Vermont |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1864 |
| Architectural style | Town lattice truss |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000386 |
| Added to NRHP | September 10, 1974 |
The Cedar Swamp Covered Bridge was a special old bridge in Vermont. It was a type of bridge called a covered bridge, which means it had a roof and walls, like a long tunnel. This bridge crossed over Otter Creek and connected two towns, Cornwall and Salisbury, Vermont. It was built a long time ago, between 1864 and 1865. Because it was so important to history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Sadly, the bridge was destroyed by a fire in September 2016.
Exploring the Cedar Swamp Covered Bridge
The Cedar Swamp Covered Bridge was in a quiet, rural area. It connected Swamp Road in Cornwall with Creek Road in Salisbury. This bridge was known by a few different names, like the Station Bridge.
What Did the Bridge Look Like?
The bridge was a Town lattice truss structure. This means it was built using a special pattern of wooden beams that cross each other, making the bridge very strong. It was a single span, meaning it crossed the entire distance without any supports in the middle of the creek.
The bridge was about 153.5 feet (46.8 m) long. It rested on strong supports called abutments, which were made of marble and covered with concrete. In 1969, a concrete pier was added near the middle to give it extra support.
The bridge was about 18.5 feet (5.6 m) wide. The part where cars drove was about 14 feet (4.3 m) wide, which was just enough for one lane of traffic. The outside of the bridge was covered with vertical wooden boards. These boards also extended a short way inside the openings at each end, called portals. The openings were shaped like smooth, rounded arches. A metal roof covered the top of the bridge.
A Bridge with History
The Cedar Swamp Covered Bridge was built between 1864 and 1865. It was one of only a few covered bridges in Vermont that connected two different towns. It was also the only covered bridge from the 1800s that was still standing in both Cornwall and Salisbury.
The bridge was repaired and made stronger in 2007 and 2008. However, on September 10, 2016, the bridge was badly damaged by a fire.
