National Register of Historic Places

Wright's Bridge

Newport, Sullivan County, New Hampshire
Listed
June 9, 1975
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
75000135

About this property

Wright's Bridge is a historic covered bridge in Newport, New Hampshire. Originally built in 1906 to carry the Boston and Maine Railroad across the Sugar River, it now carries the multi-use Sugar River Trail. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Wright's Bridge is located in a rural setting in western Newport, spanning the Sugar River about 1,200 feet (370 m) west of the trail's intersection with Chandler Mill Road. The bridge is a single-span Town double-lattice truss structure which has been reinforced by laminated arches. The bridge spans 122 feet (37 m), with 6 feet (1.8 m) of overhang at each end, and rests on granite abutments. Its exterior is finished with vertical board siding extending to about 2 feet (0.61 m) below the eaves. The portals have vertical boards along the sides, and horizontal boards above the opening. Elements of the trusses and arches are joined by a combination of wooden pegging, iron reinforcing rods, and metal turnbuckles. The bridge is named for S. K. Wright, who sold this portion of the railroad right-of-way in 1871. The first bridge on the site was built soon afterward, by the Sugar River Railroad which originally built this section of railroad. Its successor, the Boston & Maine, built this replacement structure in 1906. The line was operated by the B&M until 1954 when it was sold to the Claremont & Concord Railway. The C&C last ran to Newport in 1977 and the line was subsequently abandoned. The bridge is one of two surviving railroad bridges on the line; the other is Pier Bridge. List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in New Hampshire List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire National Register of Historic Places listings in Sullivan County, New Hampshire New Hampshire DHR page on Wright's Bridge (dated info) Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. NH-35, "Wright's Bridge, Spanning Sugar River, former Boston & Maine Railroad (originally Concord & Claremont Railroad), Claremont, Sullivan County, NH", 9 photos, 1 color transparency, 6 measured drawings, 8 data pages, 1 photo caption page

Location

Newport, Sullivan County, New Hampshire
43.35917, -72.25909

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

Pier Bridge
Industrial
0.9 mi
Unity Town Hall
Industrial
3.9 mi
Central Business District
Listed
4 mi
Claremont City Hall
Industrial
4 mi
Monadnock Mills
Listed
4.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Fort Number Four Attack 1744
1744Colonial
6.7 mi
Fort Number Four Siege 1747
1747Colonial
6.7 mi
Fort Number Four (Charlestown NH) — King George's War
1746Colonial
11.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Wright's Bridge listed on the National Register?

Wright's Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 9, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Wright's Bridge?

Wright's Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Wright's Bridge?

The period of significance for Wright's Bridge is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Wright's Bridge?

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