Holmes Creek Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holmes Creek Covered Bridge |
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| Carries | Automobile |
| Crosses | Holmes Creek |
| Locale | Charlotte, Vermont |
| Maintained by | Town of Charlotte |
| ID number | VT-04-01 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Covered, King post with tied arch |
| Material | Wood |
| Total length | 41 ft (12.50 m) |
| Width | 12.1 ft (3.69 m) |
| Number of spans | 1 |
| Load limit | 5 tons |
| Clearance above | 8.25 ft (2.51 m) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | Leonard Sherman |
| Construction end | ca 1870 |
 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Area | 1 acre (0.4 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000326 |
| Added to NRHP | September 6, 1974 |
The Holmes Creek Covered Bridge, also known as the Lakeshore Covered Bridge, is a cool old wooden bridge in Charlotte, Vermont. It crosses Holmes Creek on Lake Road, right next to Charlotte Beach. This special bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, meaning it's an important historical site.
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About the Bridge
This bridge is a "covered bridge," which means it has a roof and sides, like a house for the bridge! This design helps protect the wood from rain, snow, and sun, making the bridge last much longer.
A Special Design
The Holmes Creek Bridge uses a special building method called a "King post truss" with a "tied arch" design. This makes the bridge very strong. It's one of only three bridges in Vermont built this way. It's also one of the shortest bridges in the state. Plus, it's at the lowest elevation, being very close to Lake Champlain.
Long ago, around the 1870s, the town leaders made sure the bridge was wide and tall enough for a big load of hay to pass through easily. This shows how important it was for local farmers.
The Holmes Family Orchard
In the late 1800s, the Holmes family had a huge apple orchard near the bridge. It was said to be the biggest in all of New England! If you look offshore in Lake Champlain, you might see old wooden posts sticking out of the water. These are the only remaining signs of a pier where boats used to dock to load all those apples.
Keeping the Bridge Safe
Old bridges like the Holmes Creek Covered Bridge need a lot of care to stay safe and strong.
Recent Repairs
In 1993, the bridge got a big makeover by a group called Milton Graton Associates. This happened because the Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) found that the bridge wasn't strong enough for regular traffic anymore. More work was done in 1994 by Paul Ide and Jan Lewandoski. Even though the AOT suggested building a new road around the bridge, it's still used every day!
In 2002, the bridge got a brand new roof. This was paid for by a special program that helps protect old covered bridges. This program helped put new roofs on 38 covered bridges across Vermont!
Watch Out for Trucks!
The Holmes Creek Bridge has been hit by small trucks many times. The town of Charlotte has had to pay for repairs because of these accidents. To keep the bridge safe, there are signs that say vehicles taller than 8 feet 3 inches (about 2.5 meters) cannot cross. Drivers need to pay close attention to these signs!
Photo gallery
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Holmes Creek Covered Bridge on Lake Rd., Charlotte, VT (Looking West toward Lake Champlain): 26 Apr 2015
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Holmes Creek Covered Bridge on Lake Rd., Charlotte, VT (Looking North): 26 Apr 2015
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Holmes Creek Covered Bridge, Charlotte, VT (Looking North): 26 Apr 2015
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Holmes Creek Covered Bridge, Charlotte, VT (Looking South): 26 Apr 2015
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Holmes Creek Covered Bridge Trusses, Charlotte, VT (Looking toward South): 26 Apr 2015
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Signage posted ahead of the Holmes Creek Bridge on Lake Rd., Charlotte, VT (looking North)
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Holmes Creek Covered Bridge Spans & southern abutment, Charlotte, VT (Looking toward Lake Champlain): 26 Apr 2015
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Northern bridge abutment of the Holmes Creek Covered Bridge, Charlotte, VT: 26 Apr 2015
