Medburyville Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Medburyville Bridge
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | Town Hwy. 31 over the Deerfield River, Wilmington, Vermont |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1896 |
| Built by | Vermont Construction Co. |
| Architectural style | Warren through truss |
| MPS | Metal Truss, Masonry, and Concrete Bridges in Vermont MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 90001746 |
| Added to NRHP | November 8, 1990 |
The Medburyville Bridge is a really old and special bridge located in Wilmington, Vermont. It's made of steel and was built way back in 1896! This bridge crosses the Deerfield River. You can find it just south of Vermont Route 9, between the towns of Wilmington and Searsburg.
Even though it's a bridge, you can't actually drive or walk on it anymore. That's because it doesn't have a deck (the part you walk or drive on). A newer bridge, called the Woods Road bridge, was built nearby in 1985 to take its place. The Medburyville Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990 because of its history and unique design.
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What Makes This Bridge Special?
The Medburyville Bridge is a type of bridge called a double-intersection steel Warren through truss bridge. That's a long name, but it just means it has a special design! Imagine lots of triangles made of steel bars. In this bridge, there are two sets of these triangles that cross each other. This design makes the bridge super strong and stiff.
Bridge Design and Size
When this bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places, it was one of only two bridges like it in all of Vermont! It's about 97 feet (29.6 meters) long. The space where the road used to be was about 14.1 feet (4.3 meters) wide.
- The bridge doesn't have its wooden deck anymore. You can only see the steel frame and the parts that hold it up.
- The openings at each end of the bridge (called portals) are about 14.8 feet (4.5 meters) tall.
- The bridge structure sits about 17.5 feet (5.3 meters) above the river.
- The bridge rests on strong foundations made of rough, unshaped stones.
A Look Back in Time: History of the Bridge
Building the Medburyville Bridge cost just over $1500 in 1896. That might not sound like much today, but it was a lot of money back then!
Who Built It?
The company that built this bridge was called the Vermont Construction Company. They were the very first company in Vermont to build metal truss bridges like this one. Back then, the state didn't have standard designs for bridges, so the town of Wilmington probably chose this unique design themselves.
Surviving the Great Flood
The Medburyville Bridge is very tough! It survived the huge floods that hit Vermont in 1927. Many other bridges and buildings were destroyed during those floods, but this one stood strong. It continued to be used for traffic until 1985, when the new Woods Road bridge was built nearby.
After the new bridge opened, the town gave ownership of the Medburyville Bridge to the state. Now, the state's historic preservation commission is in charge of taking care of it. They make sure this important piece of history stays safe for everyone to see.
