Howe Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Howe Covered Bridge
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | Belknap Brook Rd., across the First Branch White River, Tunbridge, Vermont |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1879 |
| Architectural style | multiple Kingpost truss |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000241 |
| Added to NRHP | September 10, 1974 |
The Howe Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge in Tunbridge, Vermont. It carries Belknap Brook Road over the White River. You can find it just east of Vermont Route 110. This special bridge was built in 1879. It's one of five covered bridges still standing in Tunbridge. That's a lot for one town, making it a place with many old bridges! The Howe Covered Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. This means it's an important historical site worth protecting.
Discovering the Howe Covered Bridge
The Howe Covered Bridge is located in southern Tunbridge. It's just a short distance east of Vermont Route 110 on Belknap Brook Road. This bridge is a single-span structure. It uses a special design called a multiple Kingpost truss.
How the Bridge Looks and Was Built
The bridge is about 75 feet (23 meters) long. It rests on strong stone supports called abutments. These supports were built without using mortar, just carefully placed stones. The road on the bridge is about 13 feet (4 meters) wide. This means it's wide enough for one car at a time. The total width of the bridge is about 15.5 feet (4.7 meters).
The stone supports extend further up the river. They have concrete walls to help protect them. The main parts of the bridge, called trusses, are made from large wooden timbers. These timbers are bolted together for strength. Vertical iron rods also help make the bridge very stable.
The outside of the bridge is covered with vertical wooden boards. These boards protect the bridge from the weather. The roof is gabled, meaning it has a sloped shape like a house roof. It's made of metal. The ends of the bridge, called portals, also have vertical wooden siding. This siding goes a little way inside to protect the ends of the trusses.
A Glimpse into History
The Howe Covered Bridge was built around 1879. We don't know who the exact builder was. It's one of five old covered bridges that are still used in Tunbridge. There's also another similar bridge nearby in Chelsea. Together, these bridges show a remarkable collection of 19th-century covered bridges in Vermont. They are like living pieces of history!
