West Swanzey Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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West Swanzey Covered Bridge
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Postcard view c. 1915 showing both sidewalks
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Main St., West Swanzey, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1832 |
| Architect | Taft, Zadoc |
| Architectural style | Town truss |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000281 |
| Added to NRHP | February 29, 1980 |
The West Swanzey Covered Bridge, also called the Thompson Bridge, is a historic wooden covered bridge in West Swanzey, New Hampshire. It carries Main Street over the Ashuelot River. This bridge was built in 1832, making it one of the oldest covered bridges still standing in New Hampshire. Unlike many old bridges, it's right in the middle of the village. It helps people get from the village center to New Hampshire Route 10. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 because of its importance.
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What is the West Swanzey Covered Bridge?
The West Swanzey Covered Bridge is just west of the main part of West Swanzey village. It goes over the Ashuelot River, running mostly east to west. This bridge is one of two bridges in the village. The other is a newer bridge about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) downstream.
How the Bridge is Built
The bridge uses a special design called a Town lattice truss. This means it has a crisscross pattern of wooden beams. It has two main sections, or spans. These spans are about 64 feet (19.5 meters) and 63.5 feet (19.4 meters) long. The bridge rests on a stone support in the middle and stone supports at each end.
It has a gently sloped metal roof that covers the bridge. This roof also extends out to protect sidewalks on both sides. Today, only one of these sidewalks remains. But you can still see where the openings for both walkways used to be. The main openings for cars have rounded tops, and the pedestrian walkways used to have similar rounded tops.
A Look Back: Bridge History
The West Swanzey Covered Bridge was built in 1832. A person named Zadoc Taft built it for the town. It cost $523.27 at that time, which was a lot of money back then!
Changes and Repairs Over Time
In 1973, the bridge had a weight limit of six tons. This meant that heavy vehicles, like school buses, could not cross it when full. School buses had to let students out before driving over the bridge. Then, the students would walk across.
The bridge was completely closed to all traffic in 1990. This was because it needed major repairs. It went through a big reconstruction project in 1993. This work helped make sure the historic bridge could continue to stand strong for many more years.
