Longley Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Longley Covered Bridge |
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Bridge in U.S. state of Vermont
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| Carries | Automobile |
| Crosses | Trout River |
| Locale | Montgomery, Vermont |
| Maintained by | Town of Montgomery |
| ID number | VT-06-08 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Covered, Town lattice |
| Material | Wood |
| Total length | 84 ft 7 in (25.78 m) |
| Width | 16 ft 1.25 in (4.91 m) |
| Number of spans | 1 |
| Load limit | 3 tons |
| Clearance above | 11 ft 0 in (3.35 m) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | Sheldon and Savannah Jewett |
| Construction end | 1863 |
 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000220 |
| Added to NRHP | December 30, 1974 |
The Longley Covered Bridge, also known as the Harnois Covered Bridge, is a cool old wooden bridge. It crosses the Trout River in Montgomery, Vermont. This bridge was built way back in 1863. It's special because it's the oldest of many bridges built by two brothers, Sheldon & Savannah Jewett. The bridge is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Today, cars can't drive on it. There's a new temporary bridge next to it for traffic.
What is the Longley Covered Bridge?
The Longley Covered Bridge is in a quiet, country part of Montgomery. It's on Longley Bridge Road, near Vermont Route 118. The bridge goes over the Trout River. It was built using a special design called a Town lattice truss. This design uses many wooden criss-cross patterns to make the bridge strong.
The bridge is about 84.5 feet (25.8 m) long. It is 19.5 feet (5.9 m) wide, but the road part is about 16 feet (4.9 m) wide. This means only one car could cross at a time. The outside of the bridge has vertical wooden boards. These boards also go inside the openings where cars enter. The sides don't go all the way up, leaving a gap near the roof. The bridge floor is made of wooden planks. It also has extra wooden supports underneath. The roof is made of metal.
Who Built This Bridge?
The Longley Covered Bridge was built in 1863 by two brothers, Sheldon and Savannah Jewett. They were famous for building bridges in the Montgomery area. In fact, this is the oldest bridge they built that is still standing.
The Jewett brothers had a sawmill in Montgomery. They used their sawmill to prepare all the wood needed for their bridges. They built seven covered bridges in this area. This is a lot of bridges built by just one family! It's the highest number of bridges built by a single builder in Vermont.
What Happened to the Bridge?
In 1992, the Longley Covered Bridge was fully repaired by Jan Lewandoski. Even after this repair, the bridge has faced some challenges. It is currently leaning to one side. The main support beams, called trusses, are also a bit bent in the middle.
Because of these issues, the bridge is now closed to traffic. Cars use a temporary bridge that was built right next to it. This helps keep everyone safe while protecting the historic Longley Covered Bridge.
