Haverhill-Bath CB Dedication August 23, 2008

WGN 29-05-04

 

WOODSVILLE, NH, August 9, 2008 - The Haverhill-Bath covered bridge near Woodville will be re-dedicated Saturday, August 23, at 11 a.m. and officially opened to pedestrian traffic.

The ceremonies, held by the bridge committee, will be followed with a parade and two-band concerts. Covered bridge artifacts will be offered for sale.

The bridge is located one-quarter mile north of US Route 302 in Woodsville Village on NH Route 135. The nation's oldest wooden bridge, it was built in 1829 for $2,400, the cost divided between the towns of Haverhill and Bath.

Built in two spans to cross the Ammonoosuc River, the bridge is 256 feet long using the Town lattice truss, the only bridge to be built on this site. The construction was supervised by Moses Abbott and Leonard Walker.

In 1973, the bridge was repaired at a cost of $38,710. In 1981 damage to the bridge caused by ice was repaired by the state at a cost of $8,000. In 1983, the bridge was almost lost to arson and it was closed.

Stabilization of the structure was performed in the year 2000. The bridge was rehabilitated at a cost of $1.4 million, the funds coming from grants, donations, and taxes.

The bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places.