Vermont Covered Bridges

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Historic Covered Bridges: A Unique Aspect Of The Vermont Landscape.

Coming upon an old covered bridge is one of the most delightful experiences for the Vermont traveler. Often, in modern times, they can be seen spanning a river or stream running through a farmer's field. Fortunately, there are still quite a few to be found on well-traveled public highways. Driving through an old covered bridge brings one back to a time when one would have been traveling in a horse-drawn vehicle.

About 600 covered bridges were built in Vermont during the mid 1800's. Only about 107 remain, but Vermont has the highest number per square mile of any place in the world. Many of these historic bridges were lost during the floods of 1927. More were lost due to lack of maintenance, replacement with modern bridges and vandalism.

There are efforts being made now to preserve the covered bridges of Vermont. They are not only of historic value, but are beautiful in their construction and a definite draw for tourists.

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Vermont Travel Notes
Video of Longest Covered Bridge in the USA

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Windsor, Vermont, Covered Bridge

Longest Covered Bridge In America

Longest Covered Bridge in the United States, Windsor, Vermont, USA Architecture Framed Art Poster Print by David R. Frazier, 22x18

Amazon Price: (as of 12/07/2009)

Vermont Covered Bridge Construction

Engineering Masterpieces

Vermont's (and America's) covered bridges are wonderful examples of magnificent engineering - in their length, in their elegant design and in their efficiency. These bridges are truly beautiful, but in reality they were created for practical reasons. The bridges were made of wood and had to be protected from the harsh winters in order to last. The downside of this was that, in the winter, the bridges had to be "snowed". Snow had to be carted onto the road surface of the bridge to accommodate the horse-drawn sleds.

To be "authentic" a covered bridge must have several characteristics. First, it must have a rigid framework, called a truss, on each side of the bridge. There were many variations on the truss, but all were based on the triangle for strength. It also must have a floor (called a deck) and a roof. Some, but not all, have open sides or windows. Some also have separate lanes on the side for pedestrians. To be classified as "historic", a covered bridge must be 50 or more years old.

Books On Vermont Covered Bridges

Covered Bridges of Vermont

by: Ed Barna

Amazon Price: $13.26 (as of 12/07/2009)

Spanning Time: Vermont's Covered Bridges

by: Joseph C. Nelson

Amazon Price: (as of 12/07/2009)

Vermont Covered Bridges (VT) (Images of America)

by: Joseph D. Conwill

Amazon Price: $15.59 (as of 12/07/2009)

Video of Vermont Covered Bridges

Northeast Kingdom

Covered Bridges - Vermont's Northeast Kingdom

The Northeast Kingdom of Vermont abounds with covered bridges of all sizes, colors and designs. They are a favorite attraction among visitors. Why was a bridge covered? Quite simply, to protect the structure from the harsh elements like snow or ice.

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Vermont Travel Notes

A Vermont Blog

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Video of Longest Covered Bridge in the USA

Between Windsor, Vermont and Cornish, New Hampshire

Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge - VT/NH

Come take my narrated tour of the Cornish-Windsor covered bridge, which links Vermont and New Hampshire over the Connecticut River. This video was taken on one blustery February morning.

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