Gilsum Stone Arch Bridge
About this property
The Gilsum Stone Arch Bridge carries Surry Road over the Ashuelot River in Gilsum, New Hampshire. Built in 1862–63, it is one of the highest stone arch bridges in the state. It has a span of 47 feet 8 inches (14.53 m), and an average height over the river of 36 feet 6 inches (11.13 m). The roadway is 43 feet 6 inches (13.26 m) above the riverbed. It stands on the site of four previous bridges, where the river passes through a deep gorge. The previous bridge was also a stone arch bridge, which was built in 1860 and collapsed (due to inferior construction) a few months later. It was designed by William Leonard Kingsbury, a local official; its builders are not known because the town's records were destroyed in a fire. The present bridge's vault is carefully constructed from dry-laid granite voussoirs that were shaped for a very precise fit, with larger stones at the lower ends of the arch, and a smaller ones at the crown. Some of the stones were left with rough surfaces, while others were hammered smooth. In contrast to the fine stonework of the arch, the abutments and retaining walls are constructed of split-faced granite in irregular courses, wedged in place by stone chips. The northeast abutment continues along the river as a wing wall up to a massive stone pier, the former site of a mill dam. The southeast abutment is a granite reconstruction of coursed ashlar over concrete, done in 1951. The original granite coping which lined the roadway shoulders has been replaced by concrete with steel guard cables, c. 1920s. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
Location
Categories
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.
Everything a full report reveals about Gilsum Stone Arch Bridge
This page lists Gilsum Stone Arch Bridge. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Gilsum Stone Arch Bridge listed on the National Register?
Gilsum Stone Arch Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 30, 1989.
What type of historic resource is Gilsum Stone Arch Bridge?
Gilsum Stone Arch Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Gilsum Stone Arch Bridge?
The period of significance for Gilsum Stone Arch Bridge is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Gilsum Stone Arch Bridge?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Gilsum Stone Arch Bridge will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Cheshire County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Cheshire County.
Explore CheshireCounty ›More historic places in New Hampshire
Browse all historic places in New Hampshire.
View New Hampshirehistoric sites ›New Hampshire history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
New Hampshirehistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Gilsum Stone Arch Bridge will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.