Rexleigh Bridge Explained

Bridge Name:	Rexleigh Bridge
Crosses:	Battenkill Embed: yes Rexleigh Covered Bridge Location: Off NY 22, Jackson, New York Coordinates: 43.1348°N -73.3557°W Built: 1874 Architecture: Howe truss Added: March 8, 1978 Mpsub: Covered Bridges of Washington County TR / Buskirk, Rexleigh, Eagleville, and Shushan Covered Bridges^[1] Refnum: 78003459

Rexleigh Bridge is a wooden covered bridge over the Batten Kill in Washington County, New York. It is one of 29 historic covered bridges in New York State.

Town and Howe truss designs were patented by Ithiel Town in 1820 and William Howe in 1840, respectively.^[1] The Rexleigh Bridge employs "the patented Howe truss, with paired diagonal timbers, single timber counters, and multiple vertical iron rods defining each truss panel. The diagonals and verticals are connected to the upper and lower chords by means of cast-iron bearing blocks."^[1] Those bearing blocks are "embossed with the name of their manufacturer, 'R. Comins, Troy, N.Y.,'" and, although the timber used is local, the bridge "appears to be a rare surviving example of this type of prefabricated nineteenth-century bridge construction."^[1]

It was individually inventoried by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in 1977.^[2]

It is one of four Washington County covered bridges submitted for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in one multiple property submission.^[1] The others are the Buskirk Bridge, the Eagleville Bridge, and Shushan Bridge. All four were listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 8, 1972.

External links

• Rexleigh Bridge, at New York State Covered Bridge Society
• Rexleigh Bridge, at Covered Bridges of the Northeast USA, a website developed by Hank Brickel

Notes and References

1. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=64000546}} Covered Bridges of Washington County TR / Buskirk, Rexleigh, Eagleville, and Shushan Covered Bridges]. December 1977. 2010-06-12 . Raymond W. Smith . National Park Service.
2. Web site: Smith. R.W.. Building/Structure Inventory: Rexleigh Covered Bridge . November 1977. 2008-02-08. Division of Historic Preservation, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.