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25-609: The West Dummerston Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge spanning the West River in Dummerston, Vermont , between Vermont Route 30 and Camp Arden Road. Built in 1872, it is at 280 feet (85 m) the longest covered bridge entirely within the state of Vermont . It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The West Dummerston Covered Bridge is located in west-central Dummerston,

50-407: A center span of 195 feet (59 m) and a 12-foot (3.7 m) rise. The two side spans were 150 feet (46 m) each. Supposedly, this was the first permanent bridge over a major American river, as well as the world's first bridge with regular masonry piers in deep water. The trusswork was sufficiently completed on January 1, 1805, to permit the bridge to be opened to traffic. But the president of

75-540: A lifespan of only 20 years because of the effects of rain and sun, but a covered bridge can last over 100 years. In the United States, only about 1 in 10 survived the 20th century. The relatively small number of surviving bridges is due to deliberate replacement, neglect, and the high cost of restoration. Surviving covered bridges often attract touristic attention due to their rarity, quaint appearance, and bucolic settings. Many are considered historic and have been

100-704: A mile in length, but was destroyed by ice and flooding in 1832. The longest, historical covered bridges remaining in the United States are the Cornish–Windsor Bridge , spanning the Connecticut River between New Hampshire and Vermont, and Medora Bridge , spanning the East Fork of the White River in Indiana. Both lay some claim to the superlative depending upon how the length is measured. In

125-489: A short way north of the village of West Dummerston. It spans the West River in a roughly east–west direction, and is mounted on stone abutments and a central stone pier. The bridge consists of two spans, each supported by Town lattice trusses , and has a total structure length of 280 feet (85 m). The sides of the bridge are finished in flush vertical boards, and the ends are sheathed in wooden clapboards. The roof

150-532: A wooden structure across the Schuylkill instead of the stone arch bridge originally planned, they called on Timothy Palmer to complete the job. Palmer (1751–1821) was the best-known wooden bridge builder in the country, and the resulting bridge became his best-known work. Palmer and his workmen completed the structure on two previously-built piers at a cost of US$ 300,000. Known then as "The Permanent Bridge," it had an overall length of 495 feet (151 m), with

175-609: Is of corrugated metal, laid over an older wooden shingle roof. The side walls have diamond-shaped openings cut in them to admit additional light. The bridge was built in 1872 by master builder Caleb Lamson, and is the only known surviving example of his work in Windham County . It is the longest covered bridge entirely within the state: the Scott Covered Bridge in Townshend is 277 feet (84 m) long, and

200-587: The Cornish–Windsor Covered Bridge (spanning the Connecticut River into New Hampshire ) is the nation's longest, at 449 feet (137 m). Covered bridge A covered bridge is a timber- truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered wooden bridges typically have

225-596: The "Middle Ferry," because a ferry operated upstream ( Upper Ferry ) and another downstream ( Lower Ferry ). Early in the Revolutionary War , American General Israel Putnam built a pontoon bridge at the Middle Ferry site, made of floating logs bound together by rope. This was intentionally destroyed to prevent its falling into the hands of the British. The British Army built its own pontoon bridge at

250-676: The 1820s. Extant bridges from that decade include New York 's Hyde Hall Bridge and Pennsylvania 's Hassenplug Bridge , both built in 1825, and the Haverhill–Bath Covered Bridge and the Roberts Covered Bridge , in New Hampshire and Ohio respectively, both built in 1829. The longest covered bridge ever built was constructed in 1814 in Lancaster County , Pennsylvania, and spanned over

275-668: The 1950s, peaking at about 400 covered bridges. These mostly used the Howe, Town, and Burr trusses. Today, there are 58 covered bridges in New Brunswick , including the world's longest, the Hartland Bridge . Ontario has just one remaining covered bridge, the West Montrose Covered Bridge . Roofed, rather than covered bridges, have existed for centuries in southern Europe and Asia. In these cases,

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300-531: The U.S., although it states that only 670 of those were standing when the 1959 edition was published. The tallest (35 feet high), built in 1892, is the Felton Covered Bridge , just north of Santa Cruz, California . Between 1969 and 2015, the number of surviving covered bridges in Canada declined from about 400 to under 200. In 1900, Quebec had an estimated 1,000 covered bridges. Relative to

325-501: The bridge company asked Palmer if the bridge wouldn't last longer if it was protected from the wind and rain by a weatherproof covering. Palmer said that the bridge's life span might be increased from ten-twelve years to thirty-forty years if a roof and sidewalls were added. Thus was created the first covered bridge in America. About 1812, the bridge was adorned with wooden allegorical figures carved by sculptor William Rush . Commerce

350-417: The cover is to protect the users of the bridge rather than the structure. Examples include: In addition to being practical, covered bridges were popular venues for a variety of social activities and are an enduring cultural icon; for example: Market Street Bridge (Philadelphia)#First bridge - Schuylkill Permanent Bridge A ferry was established at or near this location by 1673. It came to be called

375-525: The mid-19th century, the use of cheaper wrought iron and cast iron led to metal rather than timber trusses. Metal structures did not need protection from the elements, so they no longer needed to be covered. The bridges also became obsolete because most were single-lane, had low width and height clearances, and could not support the heavy loads of modern traffic. As of 2004 , there were about 750 left, mostly in eastern and northern states. The 2021 World Guide to Covered Bridges lists 840 covered bridges in

400-509: The most popular designs was the Burr Truss , patented in 1817, which used an arch to bear the load, while the trusses kept the bridge rigid. Other designs included the King , Queen , Lattice , and Howe trusses . Early trusses were designed with only a rough understanding of the engineering dynamics at work. In 1847, American engineer Squire Whipple published the first correct analysis of

425-633: The precise ways that a load is carried through the components of a truss, which enabled him to design stronger bridges with fewer materials. About 14,000 covered bridges have been built in the United States, mostly in the years 1825 to 1875. The first documented was the Permanent Bridge , completed in 1805 to span the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia . However, most other early examples of covered bridges do not appear until

450-571: The rest of North America, Quebec was late in building covered bridges, with the busiest decade for construction being the 1930s. Initially, the designs were varied, but around 1905, the design was standardised to the Town québécois , a variant on the lattice truss patented by Ithiel Town in 1820. The designer is unknown. About 500 of these were built in the first half of the 20th century. They were often built by local settlers using local materials, according to standard plans. The last agricultural colony

475-531: The site during the 1777-78 Occupation of Philadelphia . It washed away in 1780. Its replacement washed away in 1784. That was succeeded by a plank-floor bridge also built on floating logs. Market Street was originally known as "High Street," and this floating bridge was the final link in the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike . When the directors of the Schuylkill Permanent Bridge Company of Philadelphia elected in 1801 to build

500-600: The subject of historic preservation campaigns. Typically, covered bridges are structures with longitudinal timber-trusses which form the bridge's backbone. Some were built as railway bridges, using very heavy timbers and doubled up lattice work. In Canada and the U.S., numerous timber covered bridges were built in the late 1700s to the late 1800s, reminiscent of earlier designs in Germany and Switzerland . They tend to be in isolated places, making them vulnerable to vandalism and arson. The oldest surviving truss bridge in

525-638: The world is the Kapellbrücke in Switzerland, first built in the 1300s. Modern-style timber truss bridges were pioneered in Switzerland in the mid-1700s. Germany has 70 surviving historic wooden covered bridges. Most bridges were built to cross streams, and the majority had just a single span . Virtually all contained a single lane. A few two-lane bridges were built, having a third, central truss. Many different truss designs were used. One of

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550-486: Was a wooden structure and had the shortest tenure, lasting only 13 years, 1875-88. The fourth bridge had three spans and a wrought-iron cantilever structure. Its piers were built on the foundations of the Schuylkill Permanent Bridge. Its width was 77 feet, its two side spans were each 98 feet, and its center span was 215 feet including a 76-foot suspended section. The current Market Street Bridge

575-525: Was erected in 1932, complete with balustrades and other decorative elements. The four eagle statues on the east and west approaches were salvaged from New York's Pennsylvania Station , donated to the City of Philadelphia by the Pennsylvania Railroad after Penn Station was demolished in 1963. The Market Street Bridge is across from Philadelphia's 30th Street Station , built and formerly owned by

600-714: Was founded in 1948, and the last bridge was built by the Ministry of Colonisation in 1958 in Lebel-sur-Quévillon . There are now 82 covered bridges in Quebec, Transports Québec including the Félix-Gabriel-Marchand Bridge , the province's longest covered bridge. In Quebec covered bridges were sometimes known as pont rouges (red bridges) because of their typical colour. Like Quebec, New Brunswick continued to build covered bridges into

625-411: Was installed over the west portal, and Agriculture over the east portal. As Palmer had predicted, the bridge stood with little attention until 1850, when a fire gutted it. It was rebuilt and widened for an additional railroad car track, as by then it was also used for railroad traffic. The second Market Street Bridge lasted until 1875, when it was completely destroyed by another fire. The third bridge

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