Dingleton Hill Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Dingleton Hill Covered Bridge
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Root Hill Road over Mill Brook, Cornish Mills, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1882 |
| Built by | Tasker, James |
| Architectural style | Kingpost Truss |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000221 |
| Added to NRHP | November 8, 1978 |
The Dingleton Hill Covered Bridge is a really old and special wooden bridge in Cornish, New Hampshire. People also call it the Cornish Mills Bridge. It helps Root Hill Road cross over Mill Brook.
This bridge was built way back in 1882. That makes it one of the few covered bridges from the 1800s still standing in New Hampshire! Because it's so important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Only one car can drive across it at a time, and there's a limit on how heavy vehicles can be.
About the Dingleton Hill Bridge
The Dingleton Hill Covered Bridge is found about 1 mile (1.6 km) east of New Hampshire Route 12. It sits on Root Mill Road, just a bit south of Town House Road.
How the Bridge is Built
This bridge is a single span, meaning it crosses the gap with one long section. It uses a special design called a kingpost truss. A truss is a strong framework of triangles that helps support the bridge.
The bridge is about 79 feet (24 meters) long. It rests on an original stone base and a newer concrete base built in 1954. The roof was once made of wood shingles, but now it has a wavy metal roof.
Only the bottom half of the truss framework is covered with vertical wooden planks. The top half is open, so you can see the wooden beams. The entrances to the bridge also have vertical wooden boards. Inside, the bridge is about 14.5 feet (4.4 meters) wide, just enough for one lane of traffic.
Bridge History and Repairs
The Dingleton Hill Covered Bridge was built in 1882 by a local builder named James Tasker. It cost the town $812 at that time, which was a lot of money back then!
In 1983, the bridge got a big makeover by a restorer named Milton Graton. After the repairs, there was a special ceremony. Even one of James Tasker's family members came to celebrate!
The bridge faced a challenge in 2016 when a school bus crossed it. The bus was too heavy and too tall for the bridge's limits. This caused some damage. But don't worry, the damage was fixed, and the bridge was reopened a few months later. It's still standing strong today!
