|
Franklin
County, Massachusetts
(WGN 21-06-03)
(WGCB MA-06-03): (1871; covered c. 1895; modified 1920;
repaired 1956) A single-span Burr Arch truss 99' over the North River.
Located: In Colrain, Massachusetts.
Directions: From north on I-91, take Exit 26, bearing left around
the rotary and under the interstate. Take SR 2 west for 3.8 miles
and make a right onto the Colrain Shelburne Road 5.2 miles to the Colrain,
Massachusetts "Town Green". Bear left
in front of the "Green", which is SR 112 south, toward Shelburn Falls,
Massachusetts and continue 1.2 miles; then
take a right on Lyonsville Road. It was named after Arthur Alan
Smith, a Civil War Army Captain and local residence. An earlier bridge
was damage by the flood of 1869. In 1871 it was decided that the
bridge was not worth repairing, so it was torn down and the present bridge
was built. The
bridge was originally a Long Plank Bridge and was not covered until 1895 or
1896. In 1920 Burr arches were added for more strength and in 1956 General
repairs were made. In 1982, it was closed because of much needed repairs.
In September 1991, with three pair of oxen, working in shifts, the bridge
was moved to dry land. The structure will be raised and restored
with a 1930s laminated arch. When photographed on September 16, 2003,
no restoration work had begun on the bridge. However, recent information indicated that the Massachusetts State Higway Department has begun rehabilitating the bridge to once again carry vehicular traffic. Construction is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2006, but the rededication date is unknown. It is also known as the Lyonsville Covered Bridge and is the only one of eleven covered bridges remaining in town. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. (Sep 2003) |
