Morgan Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Morgan Covered Bridge |
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Bridge in U.S. state of Vermont
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| Carries | Automobile |
| Crosses | North Branch of Lamoille River |
| Locale | Belvidere, Vermont |
| Maintained by | Town of Belvidere |
| ID number | VT-08-07 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Covered, Town lattice |
| Material | Wood |
| Total length | 70 ft 11 in (21.62 m) |
| Width | 12 ft 2.75 in (3.73 m) |
| Number of spans | 1 |
| Load limit | 5 tons |
| Clearance above | 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | Lewis Robinson, et al. |
| Construction end | 1887 |
 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000229 |
| Added to NRHP | November 19, 1974 |
The Morgan Covered Bridge, also called the Upper Covered Bridge, is a cool wooden bridge that crosses the North Branch Lamoille River in Belvidere, Vermont. You can find it on Morgan Bridge Road. This bridge was built around 1887. It's one of two covered bridges in Belvidere and one of five along a five-mile stretch of the same river! Because it's so special, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
What Makes the Morgan Bridge Special?
The Morgan Covered Bridge is located west of the main part of Belvidere. It helps Morgan Bridge Road connect to other roads. This bridge is a single-span Queen post truss structure. This means it uses a special triangle-shaped design to make it strong.
The bridge is about 62 feet (19 m) long and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide. The part where cars drive is about 12.5 feet (3.8 m) wide. Inside its special design, there are iron rods. These rods connect the top points of the triangles to the bottom parts.
The bridge has a metal roof that looks like a house roof. Its outside walls are made of vertical wooden boards. These boards also cover the inside of the openings where you drive in. The boards stop a little short of the roof. This leaves a small open space just below the roof. The openings for cars are shaped like rounded arches. The bridge sits on strong supports made of stone and concrete.
A Look Back: The Bridge's History
The Morgan Covered Bridge was built by Lewis Robinson, Charles Leonard, and Fred Tracy. It's one of two covered bridges from the 1800s in Belvidere. The other is the Mill Covered Bridge further west.
There are actually five covered bridges on the North Branch Lamoille River. They are all in Belvidere or nearby Waterville. All five bridges are within a five-mile distance of each other.
This bridge has been very well-maintained over the years. It hasn't needed many big repairs recently. It did get a new metal roof, like many other covered bridges in Vermont. This was possible because of a special grant.
In the 1990s, a study was done by the Vermont Agency of Transportation. This study found that the bridge's design was extra strong. It could actually hold up to 9 tons, which is more than most wooden bridges. Today, a sign at the bridge says the weight limit is 5 tons.
