West Woodstock Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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West Woodstock Bridge
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | Mill Rd. (Town Hwy. 50) over the Ottauquechee River, West Woodstock, Vermont |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1900 |
| Built by | Groton Bridge & Manufacturing Co. |
| Architectural style | Pennsylvania through truss |
| MPS | Metal Truss, Masonry, and Concrete Bridges in Vermont MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 92001038 |
| Added to NRHP | August 27, 1992 |
The West Woodstock Bridge is a special steel bridge in West Woodstock, Vermont. It carries Mill Road over the Ottauquechee River. This bridge was built in 1900. It is the oldest known bridge of its kind in Vermont, called a Pennsylvania through truss bridge. Because it is so old and important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
About the West Woodstock Bridge
The West Woodstock Bridge is located just north of Woodstock Union High School. It crosses the Ottauquechee River from east to west. You can find it east of U.S. Route 4 (US 4).
How the Bridge is Built
This bridge is a single-span Pennsylvania through truss bridge. This means the traffic drives through the main structure of the bridge. It's a special type of Pratt truss design. It has extra vertical parts to make it stronger. The parts of the bridge are connected using pins, not rivets.
The bridge is about 174 feet (53 meters) long. It sits on strong stone supports called abutments. It is 16.3 feet (5 meters) wide, which is enough for two lanes of traffic. The height inside the bridge, where cars drive, is about 14.4 feet (4.4 meters).
The road part of the bridge is made of strong steel beams called I-beam stringers. These are covered with wooden flooring. The bridge also has some simple decorative touches from the Victorian era.
History of Its Construction
The Groton Manufacturing Company from New York built this bridge. It is one of only two bridges in Vermont known to be made by this company.
The company first offered the town a bridge they had already built. This bridge was meant for a different place in New York. They offered it at a lower price. However, the first town decided to keep their bridge. So, Groton Manufacturing Company had to build a brand new bridge for West Woodstock. They ended up building it at a loss, meaning they didn't make money on it.
The stone supports (abutments) of the bridge are believed to be very old. They might even be built on foundations that date back to 1789!
