Churchill Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Churchill Bridge
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Buckfield, Maine |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1797 |
| Architect | William Churchill |
| NRHP reference No. | 94000180 |
| Added to NRHP | March 17, 1994 |
The Churchill Bridge is a very old and special bridge located in a quiet, rural area of Buckfield, Maine. It carries Mountain Road over a small stream called Bicknell Brook. This bridge is unique because it's one of only three known stone bridges in Maine that use a "lintel" design. A lintel is a strong, flat stone that lies across the top of an opening, like the top of a doorway or window.
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Discovering the Churchill Bridge
This historic bridge is built from stones stacked together without any mortar (like glue for bricks). This style is called "dry laid rubble stone." It lifts the road about 14 feet (4.3 meters) above the stream. The whole bridge is about 20 feet (6.1 meters) long.
How the Bridge Was Built
The main part of the bridge, which goes over the brook, is about 5 feet (1.5 meters) wide. This part is made from five huge, flat stones. These large stones rest on stone walls built on each side of the stream. These walls are called "abutments" and they are about 7 feet (2.1 meters) above the water. More stones are stacked on top of these large lintel stones to create the base for the gravel road.
The bridge crosses the stream at a slight angle. Because of this, extra stone walls, called "wingwalls," extend out from the main bridge on the northwest and southeast sides. These wingwalls help hold the earth in place and guide the stream.
A Look at Its History
People believe the Churchill Bridge was built around the year 1797. A man named William Churchill, who lived nearby, likely built it. He probably built the bridge for the town in exchange for a break on his taxes. The town of Buckfield still owns the bridge today and is in charge of keeping it in good shape.
This bridge is quite rare now. Back in 1924, a survey found 20 stone bridges just in Buckfield! But most of them are gone today, making the Churchill Bridge a special survivor.
Why It's Important
The Churchill Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. This means it's recognized as an important historical site in the United States. When it was listed, the bridge had not received any major repairs since 1938.
There are two other stone lintel bridges in Maine that are also on the National Register. They were built around the same time, in the late 1700s or early 1800s. These are the Grist Mill Bridge in Lebanon and Thompson's Bridge in Industry.
