New Henniker Bridge Explained

New Henniker Bridge
Native Name:New Bridge
Coordinates:43.1817°N -71.7519°W
Crosses:Contoocook River
Named For:New road to Henniker, New Hampshire
Owner:Town of Hopkinton
Id:HABS NH-30
Id Type:Historic American Buildings Survey
Website:https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/nh0143/
Preceded:Stone arch bridge washed away in 1852
Followed:Steel truss bridge just north of it which is no longer in existence
Design:Briggs Truss
Material:Stone piers
Material1:Wood lattice and arch
Length:180 ft.
Width:20 ft.
Height:22 ft.
Number Spans:1
Builder:John C. Briggs
Begin:1863
Cost:$2,500
Rebuilt:1935
Closed:1936

New Henniker Bridge or New Bridge was a covered bridge in West Hopkinton, New Hampshire, which carried Henniker Road over the Contoocook River. The truss bridge was completed in 1863, and was the second bridge on the site. The original stone arch bridge was built in 1845 and was washed away by flood in 1852. The bridge was just over 20feet wide and 180feet long, and consisted of a single span supported by two triple lattice trusses resting on granite abutments. The patent drawings show an all-timber truss with fixed intersection angles in the center of the span. At the ends of the span the angles of the diagonals vary. The end post is vertical, and each brace further from it is sloped a little more.[1] [2]

In 1935 the bridge had sustained damage during a flood and was repaired. The bridge was utilized until 1936 when a steel truss bridge was built adjoining it to the north and ready for traffic. The covered bridge was then destroyed.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Henniker Road Covered Bridge 29-07-62x . Dave King, Will Truax . 9 April 2014 . 16 December 2015.
  2. Web site: Henniker Road, Merrimack County . 16 December 2015.
  3. Web site: HABS NH-30 . Historic American Buildings Survey . Eugene W. Clark . December 1937 . 16 December 2015.