Thompson's Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Thompson's Bridge
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Allen's Mills, Maine |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1808 |
| NRHP reference No. | 91000321 |
| Added to NRHP | March 22, 1991 |
Thompson's Bridge is a very old stone bridge located in a quiet, rural area of Franklin County, Maine. It was built around the year 1808. This bridge is special because it is one of the few "lintel" bridges still standing in Maine. Lintel bridges use large, flat stones laid across a gap, similar to how a stone might be placed over a doorway.
This historic bridge carries a local dirt road over Josiah Creek. You can find it in the Allen's Mills part of Industry, Maine. It is also very close to, and possibly even on, the border with Somerset County, Maine. Because of its age and unique design, Thompson's Bridge was added to the important National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
Contents
What Makes Thompson's Bridge Special?
Thompson's Bridge is built using local stones. These stones are carefully stacked without any mortar, like glue, to hold them together. This style is called "dry laid."
How the Bridge Was Built
The parts of the bridge that support it, called abutments, are made from fieldstones found nearby. These stones are stacked neatly in layers. The main part of the bridge, where the road goes, is made of very large granite slabs. These slabs are laid flat across the narrow space between the stone supports.
Above these big granite slabs, there is a layer of earth. This earth helps to support the dirt road that crosses the bridge. The road itself is about 10 feet (3.0 m) wide. The southern support of the bridge has extra stone walls, called wingwalls. These wingwalls make that part of the bridge about 20 feet (6.1 m) wide in total.
A Look Back in Time
The road that Thompson's Bridge carries was likely created in 1808. This was during the early days when people first started settling in the town of Industry. A man named John Thompson had a house and built a grist mill nearby in 1805. A grist mill is a place where grain is ground into flour.
The Bridge's Long History
By the late 1800s, the area around the bridge was not used as much. Today, the road south of the bridge is not kept up and is in rough condition.
In 1924, a survey by the state found more than 100 bridges of this same "lintel" type. However, by 1987, only three of these bridges were known to still exist in their original condition. Thompson's Bridge is one of these rare survivors. It is also one of the oldest structures in the town of Industry. The oldest building still standing in Industry was built around 1820, making the bridge even older!
