Power House Covered Bridge (Original)
Johnson, VT
WGN Number: 45-08-08x
Photo by Joe Nelson © 1997
The Power House Bridge's queenpost truss employed timber with dimensions generous for a bridge of this size. Conduits were carried across the Gihon River under the span.
The Covered Spans of Yesteryear website notes the history of the bridge: the "covered bridge at this location was built when the town extended School Street across the Gihon River to connect with the road to North Hyde Park. Its present name comes from the Hydroelectric generation station (still standing) built in 1895 upstream of the bridge. The bridge was reconstructed in 1960, at a cost of $3,600.00, which included rebuilding its abutments. The bridge was repaired again in 1993 after developing a sag. Those repairs included the replacement of many truss timbers. Circa 1995 steel I-beams stringers were installed beneath the flooring."
The bridge was lost when it collapsed due to heavy snow load on March 8, 2001. Click here for a detailed article with pictures of the lost bridge: Power House Covered Bridge Down due to Snow-load.
Power House Covered Bridge Vital Statistics (Original)
| Town: | Johnson |
| Location: | School Street |
| Crossing: | Gihon River |
| Date: | 1870 |
| Builder: | Unknown |
| Truss Type: | Queenpost |
| Truss Length: | 63 feet |
| Other Names: | School Street |
| National Register of Historical Places Listing Date: | October 9, 1974 |
| Date Lost: | March 8, 2001 |
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.
