Hopkins Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hopkins Covered Bridge |
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Bridge in U.S. state of Vermont
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| Carries | Hopkins Bridge Road |
| Crosses | Trout River |
| Locale | Enosburgh, Vermont |
| Maintained by | Town of Enosburgh |
| ID number | VT-06-01 (2) |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Covered, town lattice |
| Material | Wood |
| Total length | 90 ft 5 in (27.56 m) |
| Width | 15 ft 8.75 in (4.79 m) |
| Number of spans | 1 |
| Clearance above | 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | Sheldon and Savannah Jewett |
| Construction end | 1875 |
 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000218 |
| Added to NRHP | November 20, 1974 |
The Hopkins Covered Bridge is a special wooden bridge that crosses the Trout River in Enosburg, Vermont. It was built in 1875 by two brothers, Sheldon and Savannah Jewett. This bridge is one of many covered bridges in the area that were all built by the same people. Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Contents
What is the Hopkins Covered Bridge?
The Hopkins Covered Bridge is a historic structure found in a quiet part of northeastern Enosburg, Vermont. It sits just west of Vermont Route 118 on Hopkins Bridge Road. This road mainly leads to one farm. The bridge goes over the Trout River, running from east to west.
How it Looks and What it's Made Of
This bridge is about 91 feet (28 m) long and 19.5 feet (5.9 m) wide. It has a single lane for traffic, which is about 16 feet (4.9 m) wide. The bridge has a gabled roof, which looks like a house roof. Its sides are covered with vertical wooden boards. These boards also extend a little bit inside the entrances to protect the ends of the bridge's frame. The boards stop before reaching the very top, leaving small openings. The floor of the bridge is made of wooden planks.
The bridge uses a special design called a Town lattice truss. This means the wooden beams inside are arranged in a criss-cross pattern, like a lattice fence. This design makes the bridge very strong and helps it support weight.
A Bridge Built by Brothers
The Hopkins Covered Bridge was built in 1875 by the Jewett brothers. Sheldon and Savannah Jewett were from a nearby town called Montgomery. They are famous for building many covered bridges in the area. In fact, they built six covered bridges that are still standing in Montgomery!
The Jewett brothers were very organized. They used standard sizes for most parts of their bridges, except for the total length. They would prepare all the wood for their bridges at their lumberyard in Montgomery. This made their building process very efficient.
A Bridge's Journey: From Closure to Reopening
In 1993, the Vermont Agency of Transportation found that the Hopkins Covered Bridge was too old and weak to be used safely. So, it had to be closed down. This was a problem because the bridge was the only way to reach a nearby farm. To help the farm, a temporary bridge was put in place.
But the story didn't end there! The bridge was completely fixed up by a company called Renauld Bros. from Vernon. After a lot of hard work, the Hopkins Covered Bridge was reopened in 1999. Now, it is safe to use again and continues to be an important part of the area's history.
