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Coos
County, New Hampshire and Essex County, Vermont
New Hampshire No.
30 (WGN 29-04-08/45-05-03) (WGCB NH-04-08/VT-05-03): (1911;
repaired 1969; rehabilitated 1983) Two-span Howe
truss
266' 3" over the Connecticut River. Located: East
of Lunenburg, Vermont on the old road to Lancaster, New Hampshire.
Directions: 1.5 miles east of Lunenburg, Vermont on US 2 then right
on South Lunenburg Road for 0.4 mile and just left to the bridge. The
first bridge at this site was constructed in the c. 1860s-70s by
the Union Bridge Company to connect the towns of Lancaster, New Hampshire
and Lunenburg, Vermont. It was a toll bridge. It was destroyed
by a log jam in 1908. The current bridge was built in 1911 with each
town contributing $2,500. The remaining $1,678 was raised by subscription.
The timber for the bridge was precut and assembled at the site. In
1969, a truck loaded with highway salt dropped through the deck and landed
on the ice below. The bridge was closed on July 5, 1983 for twelve
weeks to allow rehabilitation by the state of New Hampshire at a cost of
$133,000. Funding came from the towns of Lancaster, New Hampshire, Lunenburg,
Vermont, the states of New Hampshire and Vermont, and a Federal Historic
Preservation Fund matching grant from the National Park Service through
the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. It was reopened
on November 23, 1983. The Town of Lancaster, New Hampshire owns
all but 32 feet of the bridge, which is in Vermont territory and owned
by the Town of Lunenburg, Vermont. The structure rests on dry, rough-cut,
stone block abutments faced and capped with poured concrete with one pier,
consisting of dry, rough cut stone blocks faced with poured concrete.
Dark weathered vertical boarding also covers the portals and weather panels.
Weathered vertical boarding covers the sides, open under the eaves for
ventilation, The downstream boarding consists of two horizontal tiers,
the upper tier overlapping the lower tier with the seam just below the
mid-point of the siding. A plank guardrail, secured to the truss
members, runs down each side of the interior. A rusted steel guardrail
extends out from each side of the portals. Thick longitudinal planking
forms the floor and its roof is covered with clear coated steel. Also
known as the Lunenburg-Lancaster Covered Bridge, the
Mt.
Orne Covered Bridge and the Mt. Orne Station Covered Bridge.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic
Places December 12, 1976. (Oct 2003; Sep 2007) |
