Morey Memorial Bridge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Samuel Morey Memorial Bridge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in New Hampshire Show map of New Hampshire Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	NH 25A over the Connecticut R., Orford, New Hampshire
Area	less than one acre
Built	1936 (1936)
Built by	Hagen-Thibodeau Construction Co.
Architect	John H. Wells
Fabricator	American Bridge Company
Architectural style	Steel Arch
NRHP reference No.	97001523
Added to NRHP	December 8, 1997

The Samuel Morey Memorial Bridge is a historic bridge carrying New Hampshire Route 25A across the Connecticut River between Orford, New Hampshire and Fairlee, Vermont. The steel through-arch bridge was built in 1937–38 to replace an older wooden bridge which had been damaged by flooding in 1936. It spans 432 feet (132 m), stands about 35 feet (11 m) above the river, and its arches rise 85 feet (26 m) above the roadway. It rests on poured concrete abutments that have a light Art Deco or Moderne styling. Wing walls recede from the abutments into the banks in three stepped sections. Below the bridge in the river is visible some riprap, stone remnants of the old bridge's abutments and central pier. The bridge is of a "tied arch" design, in which the two arches are joined together by ties to distribute the active load. This is in contrast to the Justice Harlan Fiske Stone Bridge joining Brattleboro, Vermont and Chesterfield, New Hampshire, which was built about the same time, and distributes the active load to its abutments. The bridge components were manufactured by the American Bridge Company; construction was by Hagen-Thibodeau Construction Company at a contracted cost of just over $209,000.

The bridge is named for Samuel Morey, an early inventor of steamships and resident of both Orford and Fairlee.

The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.