The East Fairfield Covered Bridge
East Fairfield, VT
WGN Number: 45-06-03
Photo by Joe Nelson © 2009
The East Fairfield Bridge now stands quiet and isolated over a small mill pond. The neighborhood was once very busy, alive with the clangor of water driven mills. The viewer can look upstream to see the old sawmill dam and downstream to see the gristmill dam.
The Covered Spans of Yesteryear website details some early bridge repairs: "Repairs were made in the early 1940s and the span was reconstructed in 1967. In the winter of 1973-74, more repairs were made using the ice to support staging, Despite all of the effort, the bridge was closed to traffic in 1987, and its condition deteriorated rapidly. Work on the floor in the early 1990s allowed the bridge to be reopened for foot traffic, but vehicles are blocked from entering by posts barring the portals."
In 2006 an engineering study was done to assess the bridge condition and make recommendations for renovation. The areas detailed for work were the roof, trusses, deck and abutments. The full report can be found here: ENGINEERING STUDY For the EAST FAIRFIELD COVERED BRIDGE.
Renovation work was started in the summer of 2008 by Blow and Cote of Morrisville, Vermont. Much of the original bridge fabric from the trusses, floor beams, and joists was able to be reused during the renovation. The original bridge once featured several stenciled advertisements and some posters. A few of these were retained in the renovated bridge. Work was completed in the summer of 2009.
Click here to view a series of articles written to follow the renovation project progress: Renovation Begun on East Fairfield Covered Bridge.
Click here for a short history of the Mill Covered Bridge: A Short History of the East Fairfield Covered Bridge.
East Fairfield Covered Bridge Vital Statistics
| Town: | East Fairfield |
| Location: | Bridge Street |
| Crossing: | Black Creek |
| Date: | 1865 |
| Builder: | Unknown |
| Truss Type: | Queenpost |
| Truss Length: | 67 feet |
| National Register of Historical Places Listing Date: | November 19, 1974 |
| Date Renovated: | 2008-2009 |
| Renovation Contractor: | Blow & Cote Morrisville, VT. |
Credits: All pictures, information and descriptions are taken from Spanning Time Vermont's Covered Bridges by Joseph C. Nelson ©1997 and the World Guide to Covered Bridges - 2009 unless otherwise specified.
