Sanborn Covered Bridge, Lyndon
WGN 45-03-05
On January 18, 2022, the Preservation Trust of Vermont issued the following press release to announce the award of a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant for repairs to the Sanborn Covered bridge in Lyndon.
Sanborn Covered Bridge, Lyndon
January 18, 2022
January 13, 2022 — The Preservation Trust of Vermont announced today a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grant of $100,000 to the town of Lyndon to support structural repairs to the Sanborn Covered Bridge.
The Center Street bridge, known locally as the Sanborn Bridge, is the last remaining Paddleford truss bridge in the states of Vermont and New Hampshire and one of only three in existence in the USA. Lyndon considers itself the “Covered Bridge Capital of the Northeast Kingdom” and identifies Sanborn Bridge as its key bridge in claiming this title due to its historical significance, proximity to downtown, and high visibility at the juncture of routes 122, 5, and 114. The $100,000 grant will support major repairs to the framing and rebuilding of the trusses.
When brought back into public use, the Sanborn Bridge will be used for events, host local placemaking activities, provide accessible river access, and be a place to savor and enjoy. The project has the potential to transform downtown, changing the environment from a sleepy village into a vibrant downtown where residents and visitors can connect with local history, make use of the many outdoor recreational assets, and meet their needs in local retail stores and services.
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges president Bill Caswell responded with the following comments:
The press release about the grant for the Sanborn Bridge in Lyndonville is wonderful news. However, there are some significant errors in the information. https://ptvermont.org/sanborn-covered-bridge-lyndon/.
The article states that this bridge “is the last remaining Paddleford truss bridge in the states of Vermont and New Hampshire and one of only three in existence in the USA.” In fact, there are a total of 21 historic covered bridges using the Paddleford design and two others which may have been a variation of the design. There is one other in Vermont, a small privately-owned bridge, 14 in New Hampshire and 5 in Maine.
