Sacketts Brook Stone Arch Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Sacketts Brook Stone Arch Bridge
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Off the end of Mill St. and Hi-Lo Biddy Rd., Putney, Vermont |
|---|---|
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1906 |
| Built by | Follett, James Otis |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000151 |
| Added to NRHP | December 12, 1976 |
The Sacketts Brook Stone Arch Bridge is a really old and cool bridge near Putney, Vermont. People also call it the Hi-Lo Biddy Stone Arch Bridge. It's a special bridge made of stone arches. Long ago, it helped people cross Sacketts Brook on Mill Street. A talented builder named James Otis Follett built it in 1906. This bridge is one of the few examples of his amazing work that are still standing today. Because it's so important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Contents
Discover the Sacketts Brook Bridge!
The Sacketts Brook Stone Arch Bridge crosses Sacketts Brook. It sits in a pretty, wooded area not far from Putney village. The road it used to carry is now cut off on both sides. On one side, it was called Mill Street, and on the other, Hi-Lo Biddy Road.
What Makes This Bridge Special?
This bridge has one main arch that stretches about 29 feet (9 meters) across. It rises about 12.5 feet (3.8 meters) above the water. The road on top is about 15.5 feet (4.7 meters) wide. This was wide enough for one car to pass at a time.
The arch itself is made from strong granite blocks. These blocks are carefully fitted together with mortar. You can see a special stone, called a keystone, right at the very top of the arch. The stones are mostly laid in a neat pattern. The parts of the bridge above the arch, called spandrels, are filled with stones laid in a more natural way. Three layers of stone sit on top of the arch, creating the base for the gravel road. The parts of the bridge that support it, called abutments and wing walls, are made of rougher stones without mortar.
How Was It Built?
The bridge was built in 1906 by James Otis Follett. He was a skilled stone worker, also known as a mason, from a nearby town called Townshend. James Follett built more than 40 bridges and culverts (small tunnels for water). He did this at a time when stone bridges were becoming less popular. Iron bridges were starting to take their place.
Why Is It Important Today?
When the Sacketts Brook Stone Arch Bridge was added to the National Register in 1976, it was one of only eleven of Follett's bridges that were still standing. This makes it a very important piece of history! The bridge was closed to cars in 1996. In 2000, people noticed that the parts supporting the bridge were starting to wear away from water. Even so, it remains a cool example of old-time building skills.
