Taftsville Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Taftsville Covered Bridge |
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HAER photo of Taftsville Covered Bridge, 2004
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| Coordinates | 43°37′51″N 72°28′04″W / 43.630867°N 72.4678975°W |
| Carries | Covered Bridge Road between Woodstock Road & Upper River Road |
| Crosses | Ottauquechee River |
| Locale | Woodstock, Vermont |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | modified multiple-kingpost truss with semi-independent arch |
| Material | wood |
| Total length | 189 feet (57.6 m) |
| Width | 20 feet (6.1 m) |
| Number of spans | 2 |
| Piers in water | 1 |
| History | |
| Designer | Solomon Emmons III |
| Opened | 1836 |
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Taftsville Covered Bridge
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| NRHP reference No. | 73000214 |
| Added to NRHP | August 28, 1973 |
The Taftsville Covered Bridge is a really old and special wooden bridge in a village called Taftsville, Vermont. It crosses the Ottauquechee River. This bridge was built way back in 1836. It's one of the oldest covered bridges still standing in Vermont and even in the whole United States!
A Bridge Through Time
The village of Taftsville got its name from Stephen Taft, who moved there in the early 1790s. He and his brother built mills, and the area became busy. They needed a bridge to cross the Ottauquechee River.
But building a bridge there was tough! The first bridge was washed away by a flood in 1807. Then, its replacement also got destroyed by floodwaters in 1811. A third bridge was built, but it too was washed away in another big flood in 1828.
After all these problems, a smart local builder named Solomon Emmons III was hired. He was asked to build a much stronger bridge. His wooden, covered bridge was finished in 1836. It's the same bridge you see today, still standing strong!
In 2011, a big storm called Hurricane Irene caused a lot of flooding. The Taftsville Bridge was badly damaged. It had to be closed for two years while people worked hard to fix it. It finally reopened in September 2013.
How the Bridge Was Built
Many covered bridges you see today are based on special designs that were patented, like inventions. But the Taftsville Bridge is different. It shows an older way of building. It's like a skilled craftsman built it using traditional methods. Some people think its design might have been inspired by bridges in Switzerland.
The bridge has a unique structure. It uses a "modified multiple kingpost truss with semi-independent arches." This means it has a strong framework of wooden beams (the truss) combined with curved arches that help support the weight. Even though it has arches, it's not the same as the well-known Burr arch-truss design.
The Taftsville Bridge stretches for about 189 feet (58 m) over the Ottauquechee River. It has two main sections, or spans. One span is about 89 feet (27 m) long, and the other is about 100 feet (30 m) long. These spans meet at a central support in the middle of the river. The bridge is about 20 feet (6.1 m) wide, and the road inside is about 16 feet (4.9 m) wide.
Images for kids
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Damage from floodwaters after Hurricane Irene
