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Merimack
County, New Hampshire
New Hampshire No.
10 (WGN 29-07-07) (WGCB NH-07-07): (c. 1849;
major reconstruction 1889; 1936; 1938) A two-span, double Town-Pratt Lattice
truss 140' 1" over the Contoocook River. Located: In
Contoocook, New Hampshire off SR 103. Directions: From I-89,
exit 7, take SR 103 south to Contoocook, New Hampshire the bridge is beside
SR 103 as it crosses the Contoocook River. Originally built when
the Concord and Claremont Railroad laid its first 33 miles of track from
Concord to Bradford, New Hampshire in 1850. The bridge washed off
its abutments in 1936 when the Contoocook River flooded and again in 1938
during a hurricane. The only thing that kept the bridge from washing downstream
were the rails bolted together at each joint. After the flood water receded,
the bridge was drawn back to its location and restored. From 1962 until
1990 a local merchant owned and used it as a warehouse. In 1990 the
bridge was given to the New Hampshire Historic Resources under RSA 234:31.
In a National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges (NSPCB) Newsletter
dated Fall 2001 the bridge was referred to as the Contoocook Railroad
Bridge. Further, the article indicated that a Historical
Marker will be placed next to the bridge stating "The oldest wooden covered
railroad bridge in the world extant.'' Also known as the Old Contoocook
Rail Road Covered Bridge and the Railroad Covered Bridge.
When visited in September 2003, there were signs that restoration had just
begun. When re-visited on September 11, 2004 we were able to get
inside the bridge and take better interior shots. There were
signs, including steel beams on the floor, to indicate restoration work,
although slow, was still being undertaken. Another visit was made
on May 18, 2006 to see if the bridge had been damaged after record rains
on May 6, 2006. Fortunately, there was none. Not a lot of progress
had been made on the restoration of the structure from our previous visit.
The stone highway bridge, that crosses the Contoocook River right next
to the Railroad Bridge, was also a covered bridge at one time. It
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places January 11, 1980.
(Sep 2003/Sep 2004) |
