Cold River Bridge (Langdon, New Hampshire)

The Cold River Bridge, also known as McDermott Bridge, is a historic wooden covered bridge spanning the Cold River near Crane Brook Road in Langdon, New Hampshire, USA. Built in 1869, it is one of the state's few surviving 19th-century covered bridges. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[1] It is closed to vehicular traffic.

Cold River Bridge
McDermott Bridge
Cold River Bridge (Langdon, New Hampshire) is located in New Hampshire
Cold River Bridge (Langdon, New Hampshire)
Cold River Bridge (Langdon, New Hampshire) is located in the United States
Cold River Bridge (Langdon, New Hampshire)
LocationAdjacent to Crane Brook Road over the Cold River, Langdon, New Hampshire
Coordinates43°10′11″N 72°20′44″W / 43.1697845°N 72.3456453°W / 43.1697845; -72.3456453
Area0.1 acres (0.040 ha)
Built1869 (1869)
ArchitectGranger, Albert S.
Architectural styleModified Town lattice truss
NRHP reference No.73000177[1]
Added to NRHPMay 17, 1973

Description and history

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The Cold River Bridge is located in a rural setting in eastern Langdon, spanning the Cold River just to the east of Crane Brook Road, which it used to carry. The bridge is 81 feet (25 m) long and 16 feet (4.9 m) wide, with a roadway width of just over 12 feet (3.7 m). It is a single-span modified Town lattice truss with a reinforcing laminated arch, set on stone abutments. It is covered by a metal roof and its sides are sheathed in vertical board siding. The portals are flanked by vertical siding, and the gable above is filled with horizontal siding. The bridge has been fastened by metal cables to the adjacent modern bridge.[2][3]

The bridge is believed to be the fourth standing on this site. The town's records mention payments for construction of one bridge in 1789, with replacements in 1814 and 1840. The 1840 bridge was destroyed by a flood in October 1869.[2] This bridge was built soon afterward, by Albert Granger for $450. Granger's father Sandford patented the variant of the Town lattice truss used its construction.[3] It remained in use for vehicular traffic until 1964, when the town voted to build the adjacent structure.[2] It is now maintained by the town, and is open to foot traffic.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c "NRHP nomination for Cold River Bridge". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
  3. ^ a b "McDermott Bridge". State of New Hampshire. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
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  Media related to McDermott Covered Bridge at Wikimedia Commons