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Orleans
County, Vermont
(WGN 45-10-02 #2)
(WGCB VT-10-02 #2): (1879 or 1881; destroyed by arson 1997; rebuilt
1999) A single-span Paddleford truss 86' over the Black River.
Located: In Coventry, Vermont on Covered Bridge Road. Directions:
Just south of jct. US 5 and SR 14, (both run together on the Coventry,
Vermont bypass) take the first of two roads off the bypass into Coventry,
Vermont. As you approach the village's central green there is a church,
stay to the right on Covered Bridge Road 0.6 mile to the bridge.
Halloween arsonists burned down the original 116 year old bridge in 1997.
Two Vermont men were found guilty of arson, fined and sentenced to perform
community service. Two years and at a cost of of approximately $400,000,
the present near replica was officially opened on November 29, 1999.
It is slightly heavier than the original because yellow pine beams were
used instead of spruce. The structure is supported by a fourteen panel
Paddleford truss, set on dry stone abutments capped and encased in poured
concrete from the previous bridge with a wing wall on the upstream side
at the east end. Slightly weathered, vertical spruce boarding covers
the upstream side, open under the eaves for ventilation and light gray
weathered vertical spruce boarding covers the downstream side to rail height
exposing the truss. Slightly weathered vertical spruce boarding covers
the portals. The floor has longitudinal 2" by 6" glue-laminated southern
yellow pine planks placed on edge with seven plank wide 3 inch thick oak
wheel treads and its light gray painted steel roof and gables project beyond
the entrances to provide additional weather protection for the interior.
Also known as the Black River Covered Bridge, the Coventry Covered
Bridge (after the community to the northeast), the Irasburg Covered
Bridge and the Lower Covered Bridge (because it was the downstream
bridge on the Black River). It was listed on the National Register of Historic
Places in 1974. (Oct 2003) |
