Morgan Covered Bridge
Belvidere, VT
WGN Number: 45-08-07
Photo by Joe Nelson © 1997
The Morgan Bridge is named for a family that once owned the property at the north portal. There are some references to major bridge repairs in 1898. ¹ ² The Morgan bridge is the last of the five North Branch bridges to retain its original flooring system.
A 1995 Vermont Agency of Transportation report noted that the bridge incorporates some unique design features. "The queenpost truss incorporates three small king-rod trusses within the queenpost truss to help support the floor loads. Also, queen-rods are positioned next to the queenposts. Two other short rods drop from near the bottom of the queen post main-braces as well. Another design feature includes double six-by-eight tie beams at each queenpost allowing for two tenons and two pairs of knee braces". ³
Around the year 2001 "the roof was replaced with a new standing-seam steel roof which included replacing many of the roof boards". ²
The Town of Belvidere closed the bridge in the fall of 2005 at the recommendation of the Vermont Agency of Transportation. At that time they found "severe bottom chord breaks". Click here for more details: Belvedere Vermont's Morgan Bridge Closed.
The bridge was closed again in 2020 due to water damage to the deck. Repairs were completed by August 2020 by Mike Lanphera, LLC. The Vermont Covered Bridge Society as well as the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges were able to contribute funds towards the repair work.
Footnotes:- Covered Spans of Yesteryear website
- Covered Bridges of Vermont (Barna, E. (1996) Covered Bridges of Vermont. Woodstock, Vermont: The Countryman Press)
- VAOT Covered Bridge Study. Prepared by the State of Vermont Agency of Transportation by McFarland-Johnson, Inc. Binghamton, New York, 1995.
Morgan Covered Bridge Vital Statistics
| Town: | Belvidere |
| Location: | Morgan Bridge Road |
| Crossing: | North Branch of the Lamoille River |
| Date: | 1887 |
| Builder: | Robinson, Leonard, Tracy |
| Truss Type: | Queenpost |
| Truss Length: | 65 feet |
| Other Names: | Upper |
| National Register of Historical Places Listing Date: | November 19, 1974 |
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.
