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Washington
County, Vermont
(WGN
45-12-08) (WGCB VT-12-08): (c.
1872; repaired and modified 1963; repaired and painted 1978; strengthened
1993; new roof c. 2002) A two-span Town lattice truss 137'
over the Dog River. Located: At the village of Northfield Falls,
Vermont off SR 12 on Cox Brook Road. Directions: In Northfield
Falls, Vermont go west off SR 12 onto Cox Brook Road at the main intersection
0.1 mile to the bridge. In 1963 the bridge was strengthened with
the addition of four steel beams and a central pier. It was again
strengthened in 1993 when the original deck system was repaired.
The original non mortared stone abutments remain, but cast concrete caps
have been added. In 1978 the bridges siding was repaired and it was
painted barn red inside and out. Circa 2002 a new standing-seam steel
roof was installed. One of three bridges (Station Covered Bridge
[WGN 45-12-08], Second Covered Bridge
[WGN 45-12-10] and Third Covered Bridge
[WGN 45-12-11]) within 0.4 mile of each other
on Cox Brook Road. All three bridges are painted barn red.
A sign over the portal proclaims "Town Lattice 1872", and a rare cast
iron sign spells out "Speed Limit horses at a walk motor vehicle 10 miles
per hour." It is also one of two Locations in New England where two
bridges (Station Covered Bridge [WGN 45-12-08]
and Second Covered Bridge [WGN 45-12-10])
can be included in the same photograph The other location is also
in Vermont - the Willard Twins [{WGN 45-14-02}
and {WGN 45-14-64 #2}] in Windsor County.
Vertical boarding covers the sides, portals and weather panels,
open above the eaves for ventilation. There are four parallel long
horizontal wood-framed openings along each side. The roof is painted
silver and there are guy wires extending from under the roof to a ground
anchor on the upstream side to provide lateral stabilization. It
was named for the former railroad depot close by. Also known as the
Northfield
Falls Covered Bridge and the Northfield Covered Bridge.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 13,
1974. (Sep 2004) |
