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Hillsborough
County, New Hampshire
New Hampshire No.
8 (WGN 29-06-02) (WGCB NH-06-02):
(1937; repaired 1981; udated 2001) A modified Pratt truss 86' 6" long with a clear span of 81'
6" over the Contoocook River. Located: East Southeast of Hancock,
New Hampshire on Forest Road. Directions: 2.1 miles South Southwest
of jct. SR 137 on US 202, then left on Forest Road 1.2 miles to the bridge.
The first bridge on the site was built in 1852, a Long truss covered bridge
by Charles Gray of Hancock, New Hampshire. In March 1936, a flood
damaged the bridge beyond repair. The current bridge was designed by Henry
Pratt of Antrim and constructed as a Federal Emergency Relief Administration
project by the Hagan-Thibodeau Construction Company of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.
When it was rebuilt, the structure was set on concrete abutments and was
reinforced using steel TECO timber connectors, bolts, and gusset plates.
The TECO connectors give the timber joints added strength and allow the
bridge's carrying capacity to be rated at twenty tons. Asphalt shingles
were used instead of the usual wood shakes and were replaced with wooden
ones in September of 1981 at a cost of $77,000. In 2001, a $36,000 grant was received for the bridge. These funds
were used for the installation of a protectowire fire detection system and a dry sprinkler system. Also known as the
County Covered Bridge and the County Farm Covered Bridge. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places May 21, 1975. (Sep 2002) |
