National Register of Historic Places

Columbia Covered Bridge

Columbia, Coos County, New Hampshire
Listed
December 12, 1976
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
76000123

About this property

The Columbia Bridge is a covered bridge, carrying Columbia Bridge Road over the Connecticut River between Columbia, New Hampshire and Lemington, Vermont. Built in 1911–12, it is one of only two New Hampshire bridges (along with the Mount Orne Covered Bridge) built with Howe trusses, and is one of the last covered bridges built in the historic era of covered bridge construction in both states. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The Columbia Bridge stands in southeastern Lemington and northwestern Columbia, both rural communities in the northern parts of their respective states. It carries Columbia Bridge Road between United States Route 3 in New Hampshire and Vermont Route 102 in Vermont. It is in a rural agricultural setting, and is oriented northwest-to-southeast across the Connecticut River, on abutments of dry laid stone that have been faced in concrete. It is a wood-iron Howe truss design, with a single span that is 146 feet (45 m) long. The bridge has a total width of 20.5 feet (6.2 m) and a roadway with of 15.5 feet (4.7 m), and an internal clearance of 13 feet (4.0 m). The exterior is sheathed in vertical board siding, which extends a short way into each portal to protect the truss ends. The siding on the north side rises to a height of 6 feet (1.8 m), leaving an open space between it and the gabled roof. The bridge was built by Charles Babbitt in 1912, replacing one destroyed by fire the previous year, and is the third to stand on the site. The bridge is considered to be one of the last built in either state during the historic period of covered bridge construction. It was rehabilitated by the state of New Hampshire in 1981 at a cost of $143,000. List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire National Register of Historic Places listings in Coös County, New Hampshire List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Vermont National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Vermont Columbia Bridge, NH Division of Historical Resources

Location

Columbia, Coos County, New Hampshire
44.85354, -71.55084

Categories

ENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Wallace Farm
Early Republic
1.4 mi
Martin Homestead
Listed
6 mi
Aldrich, Benjamin, Homestead
Industrial
6.3 mi
Balsams, The
Listed
12 mi
Indian Stream Schoolhouse
Industrial
14.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Columbia Covered Bridge listed on the National Register?

Columbia Covered Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 12, 1976.

What type of historic resource is Columbia Covered Bridge?

Columbia Covered Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Columbia Covered Bridge?

The period of significance for Columbia Covered Bridge is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Columbia Covered Bridge?

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