Minortown Road Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Minortown Road Bridge
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Mill Rd./Minortown Rd. over Nonewaug R., Woodbury, Connecticut |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1890 |
| Built by | Berlin Iron Bridge Co. |
| Architectural style | Lenticular pony truss |
| NRHP reference No. | 01000883 |
| Added to NRHP | August 17, 2001 |
The Minortown Road Bridge is a really old and special bridge in Woodbury, Connecticut. It crosses the Nonewaug River, connecting different roads like U.S. Route 6 to Minortown Road. This bridge was built way back in 1890 by a company called the Berlin Iron Bridge Company. It's one of only a few bridges left in Connecticut that has a unique "lenticular pony truss" design. Because it's so old and special, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.
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About the Minortown Road Bridge
The Minortown Road Bridge is in a quiet, country part of northeastern Woodbury. It goes north-south over the Nonewaug River. The bridge is made of a single span of wrought iron, which is a type of strong metal. It is about 64 feet (19.5 meters) long.
How the Bridge Was Built
The main parts of the bridge, called trusses, sit on concrete supports. These supports are built on top of the original stone supports. Even though the old iron trusses are still there, they don't hold up the cars anymore. A newer wooden bridge was built between the old trusses to carry the traffic safely. This means the old bridge is still there to see, but the new one does the hard work!
History of the Minortown Road Bridge
The bridge was built in 1890 by the Berlin, Connecticut-based Berlin Iron Bridge Company. This company was very important for building iron and steel bridges in the northeastern United States.
Why This Bridge Is Special
Many bridges were built by this company, but in 2001, only seventeen of their "lenticular truss" bridges were still standing in Connecticut. Even fewer of these old bridges are still used today, even if just for show. The Minortown Road Bridge is special because of how its parts are joined together using pins. The town paid the company $625 to build the main parts of the bridge. This bridge was part of a plan to replace all the old wooden bridges in the town with stronger ones.
