kids encyclopedia robot

List of covered bridges in New York facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Covered bridges are super cool structures that let you cross a river or stream while being protected from the weather! Imagine a long tunnel made of wood, often with windows, that takes you from one side to the other. New York State has many of these historic bridges, and they are like a peek into the past. They were built a long time ago to keep the wooden parts of the bridge safe from rain, snow, and sun, which helped them last much longer.

What Are Covered Bridges?

Covered bridges are basically wooden bridges with roofs and walls. Think of them as a house built over a bridge! The main reason people built them this way was to protect the strong wooden beams and trusses underneath from the weather. If wood gets wet and then dries out repeatedly, it can rot or warp. By covering the bridge, builders made sure these important parts stayed dry, helping the bridges last for many, many years. Some of these bridges in New York are over 150 years old!

Historic Bridges in New York

New York State is home to many amazing covered bridges. Some of these bridges are so special that they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This is like a special list of buildings, places, and structures that are important to American history. When a bridge is on this list, it means it's recognized for its historical value and efforts are made to preserve it.

One very famous bridge is the Old Blenheim Bridge. It was built in 1855 and was one of the longest single-span covered bridges in the world! Sadly, a big storm called Tropical Storm Irene destroyed it in 2011. But don't worry, it was rebuilt and reopened in 2018, looking just like it did before! It's a great example of how people work to save these important parts of history.

Famous Covered Bridges You Can Visit

Here are some of the cool covered bridges in New York State, organized by the county they are in:

Delaware County Bridges

  • Downsville Bridge
    • Built: 1854
    • Length: 174 feet
    • Crosses: East Branch of the Delaware River
    • Fun Fact: This bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Fitches Bridge
    • Built: 1870
    • Length: 100 feet
    • Crosses: West Branch of the Delaware River
    • Fun Fact: Also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Hamden Bridge
    • Built: 1859
    • Length: 125 feet
    • Crosses: West Branch of the Delaware River
    • Fun Fact: Another historic bridge on the National Register.
  • Lower Shavertown Bridge (also known as Campbell Bridge)
    • Built: 1877
    • Length: 32 feet
    • Crosses: Trout Creek
    • Fun Fact: This shorter bridge is also on the National Register.
  • Tuscarora Club Bridge
    • Built: 1870, rebuilt in 2012
    • Length: 38 feet
    • Crosses: Mill Brook

Essex County Bridges

Herkimer County Bridges

  • Salisbury Center Bridge
    • Built: 1875
    • Length: 50 feet
    • Crosses: Spruce Creek
    • Fun Fact: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

Otsego County Bridges

  • Hyde Hall Bridge
    • Built: 1825
    • Length: 53 feet
    • Crosses: Shadow Brook
    • Fun Fact: This is one of the oldest covered bridges in New York! It's located in Glimmerglass State Park.

Saratoga County Bridges

  • Copeland Bridge
    • Built: 1879
    • Length: 35 feet
    • Crosses: Beecher Creek
    • Fun Fact: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Schoharie County Bridges

Sullivan County Bridges

  • Beaverkill Bridge (also known as Conklin Bridge)
    • Built: 1865
    • Length: 98 feet
    • Crosses: Beaver Kill
    • Fun Fact: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Bendo Bridge (or Willowemoc Covered Bridge)
  • Van Tran Flat Bridge (also known as Livingston Manor Bridge)

Tompkins County Bridges

  • Newfield Bridge
    • Built: 1853
    • Length: 115 feet
    • Crosses: Cayuga Creek
    • Fun Fact: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Ulster County Bridges

  • Ashokan Bridge (also known as New Paltz Campus Bridge)
    • Built: 1889
    • Length: 62 feet
    • Crosses: Esopus Creek
    • Fun Fact: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Forge Bridge
    • Built: 1906
    • Length: 27 feet
    • Crosses: Dry Brook
  • Grants Mills Bridge
    • Built: 1902
    • Length: 66 feet
    • Crosses: Mill Brook
    • Fun Fact: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Tappan Bridge (or Kittle Bridge)
    • Built: 1906
    • Length: 43 feet
    • Crosses: Dry Brook

Washington County Bridges

  • Eagleville Bridge
    • Built: 1858
    • Length: 101 feet
    • Crosses: Battenkill
    • Fun Fact: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Rexleigh Bridge
    • Built: 1874
    • Length: 107 feet
    • Crosses: Battenkill
    • Fun Fact: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Shushan Bridge
    • Built: 1858
    • Length: 161 feet
    • Crosses: Battenkill
    • Fun Fact: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

More Covered Bridges

Besides these well-known historic bridges, there are other covered bridges in New York State. Some are newer, or they might have been built for different reasons, like for a school or a park. These bridges are still cool to see and explore!

Here are a few examples:

  • Waldbillig Bridge, in Albany County
  • Voorheesville School Bridge, in Albany County
  • Munson Bridge in Broome County
  • Thomas E. Kelly Bridge in Cattaraugus County
  • Erpf Bridge in Delaware County
  • Fort Ticonderoga / Kissing Bridge, in Essex County
  • Morehouse Bridge in Fulton County
  • Old Forge Bridge in Herkimer County
  • Frontenac or North Country Bridge, in Jefferson County
  • Americana Village Bridge, in Madison County
  • Roydhouse Bridge, in Oneida County
  • Schoharie Bridge, in Schoharie County
  • Ludlow Greens Bridge, in Suffolk County
  • Grahamsville Bridge, in Sullivan County
  • Friendship Manor Bridge, in Ulster County
  • Myers Bridge, in Ulster County
  • Cambridge Bridge, in Washington County
  • Granville Bridge, in Washington County
  • Cannon Covered Bridge, in Wyoming County

Images for kids

  • Downsville-covered-bridge

    The Downsville Bridge in Delaware County.

  • Fitches Covered Bridge Nov 04

    The Fitches Bridge, also in Delaware County.

  • Hamden Covered Bridge May 06

    The Hamden Bridge, a historic spot.

  • Lower Shavertown Covered Bridge Back

    The Lower Shavertown Bridge.

  • TUSCARORA CLUB BRIDGE

    The Tuscarora Club Bridge.

  • Jay Bridge, Jay, NY

    The Jay Bridge in Essex County.

  • Salisbury Covered Bridge May 08

    The Salisbury Center Bridge.

  • Hyde Hall Covered Bridge - west view

    The Hyde Hall Bridge, one of the oldest.

  • COPELAND COVERED BRIDGE

    The Copeland Bridge in Saratoga County.

  • Old Blenheim Bridge Alternate 11Mar2008

    The famous Blenheim Bridge before it was rebuilt.

  • Beaverkill Covered Bridge

    The Beaverkill Bridge in Sullivan County.

  • Bendo Bridge Apr 11

    The Bendo Bridge.

  • Halls Mills Bridge Apr 11

    The Halls Mills Bridge.

  • VAN TRAN FLAT COVERED BRIDGE

    The Van Tran Flat Bridge.

  • Newfield Covered Bridge Feb 10

    The Newfield Bridge in Tompkins County.

  • ASHOKAN COVERED BRIDGE, ULSTER CO. NY

    The Ashokan Bridge in Ulster County.

  • FORGE COVERED BRIDGE

    The Forge Bridge.

  • Grant Mills Covered Bridge

    The Grants Mills Bridge.

  • Perrine's Bridge September 2007

    Perrine's Bridge, a very old and historic bridge.

  • TAPPAN COVERED BRIDGE

    The Tappan Bridge.

  • Buskirks Bridge 1

    The Buskirk Bridge in Washington County.

  • Eagleville Covered Bridge May 07

    The Eagleville Bridge.

  • Rexleigh Covered Bridge Dec 10

    The Rexleigh Bridge.

  • SHUSHAN COVERED BRIDGE

    The Shushan Bridge.

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
List of covered bridges in New York Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.