West Swanzey Covered Bridge
About this property
The West Swanzey Covered Bridge (also known as the Thompson Bridge) is a historic wooden covered bridge carrying Main Street over the Ashuelot River in West Swanzey, New Hampshire. Built in 1832, it is one of New Hampshire's few surviving 19th-century covered bridges. Unlike most of those, it is prominently located in the village, providing access from the village center to New Hampshire Route 10. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The West Swanzey Covered Bridge is located just west of the village center of West Swanzey, carrying Main Street over the Ashuelot River in a roughly east–west orientation. It is one of two bridges in the village; the other is a modern one about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) downriver. It is a two-span Town lattice truss structure, 136'10" long, with spans measuring 64'0" and 63'6", and rests on a stone central pier and abutments. It is covered by a shallow-pitch metal gabled roof, which extends beyond the trusses to shelter sidewalks on both sides. Only one of the sidewalks now survives, although evidence of the separate walkway portals survives. The main vehicle portals have segmented-arch tops, which are echoed in the pedestrian portals. The bridge was built in 1832 by Zadoc Taft for the town at a cost of $523.27. In 1973 the bridge was posted for a six-ton limit, requiring school buses to empty before they could cross the bridge. It was closed to all traffic in 1990, and underwent a major reconstruction in 1993. Some notoriety came to the Thompson Bridge in 1930. Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, attempted to purchase the bridge and relocate it to his Greenfield Village Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. However, the town selectmen refused to sell the landmark. Ford later purchased Pennsylvania's Ackley Covered Bridge instead. The bridge was repainted in 2023. List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire National Register of Historic Places listings in Cheshire County, New Hampshire Media related to West Swanzey Covered Bridge at Wikimedia Commons
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 West Swanzey Covered Bridge
This page lists West Swanzey Covered 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 West Swanzey Covered Bridge listed on the National Register?
West Swanzey Covered Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 29, 1980.
What type of historic resource is West Swanzey Covered Bridge?
West Swanzey Covered Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for West Swanzey Covered Bridge?
The period of significance for West Swanzey Covered Bridge is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near West Swanzey Covered 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 West Swanzey Covered 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 West Swanzey Covered Bridge will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.