Upper Cox Brook Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Upper Cox Brook Covered Bridge |
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Bridge in U.S. state of Vermont
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| Carries | Automobile |
| Crosses | Cox Brook |
| Locale | Northfield, Vermont |
| Maintained by | Town of Northfield |
| ID number | VT-12-11 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Covered, Queen post |
| Material | Wood |
| Total length | 51.25 ft (15.62 m) |
| Width | 14.1 ft (4.3 m) |
| Number of spans | 1 |
| Clearance above | 12 ft (3.7 m) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | unknown |
| Construction end | 1872 |
 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000267 |
| Added to NRHP | October 1, 1974 |
The Upper Cox Brook Covered Bridge is a cool wooden covered bridge in Northfield, Vermont. It crosses over Cox Brook on Cox Brook Road. This bridge is special because it's one of five old covered bridges from the 1800s still standing in Northfield. It's also one of three covered bridges you can find on the same road! In 1974, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site.
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What Makes This Bridge Special?
The Upper Cox Brook Covered Bridge is located west of a small area called Northfield Falls. It crosses Cox Brook, which is a stream that flows into the Dog River. This bridge is the one furthest to the west among three covered bridges on Cox Brook Road. The other two are the Northfield Falls Covered Bridge and the Lower Cox Brook Covered Bridge.
How the Bridge Was Built
This bridge uses a special design called a Queen post truss. Imagine two large triangles made of wood that help support the bridge. These two main supports are about 51.5 feet (15.7 meters) long. They rest on strong bases, which are either covered or rebuilt with concrete.
The bridge's main wooden supports are set a bit off-center. This creates a slightly angled shape, like a parallelogram. The bridge has a metal roof that looks like a house roof, and its outside walls are covered with vertical wooden boards. These boards also extend inside the entrance areas.
Modern Updates to the Bridge
Even though it looks old, the bridge has some modern parts. The floor of the bridge now has strong steel beams underneath wooden planks. These steel beams actually carry the weight of cars and people crossing. The original wooden truss system now mainly supports the roof and the outer walls, not the heavy load.
You'll notice that the wooden siding on the sides doesn't go all the way up to the roof. This leaves a small open space at the top. There are also long, rectangular openings on the sides, which are protected by the overhanging siding. These openings let in light and air.
Surviving a Storm: Hurricane Irene
On August 28, 2011, a big storm called Hurricane Irene caused a lot of flooding. It looked like the Upper Cox Brook bridge was badly damaged. A tree was pushed right through the bridge and into its roof. The road leading up to the bridge was also washed away by the water.
People thought the bridge might be closed for a long time. However, it was a strong bridge! It reopened within just two weeks after the storm. Luckily, it only had minor damage, which was amazing considering how powerful the flood was.
