May 15, 2016

Windsor-Cornish Bridge (Windsor, VT & Cornish, NH)

By New England Nomad

Date Visited: May 13, 2016

Location: Bridge St, Windsor, VT/ Cornish, NH

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If there is one thing Vermont and New Hampshire are known for, besides moose and lakes, it has to be covered bridges.  But, of the 164 covered bridges listed for Vermont and New Hampshire one stands alone.

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The Windsor-Cornish Bridge (or Cornish-Windsor if you like) is the longest covered bridge in all of New England.  At 449 ft and 5 inches, the Windsor-Cornish Bridge is not only the longest covered bridge in New England it is the second longest wooden covered bridge in the entire United States just behind the Smolen-Gulf Bridge in Ohio (613 ft) which opened in 2008.  It is, however, the longest wooden covered bridge as well as the longest two span covered bridge in the United States.

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The bridge was originally framed at a nearby meadow northwest of the site and later moved to its proper location.  As an aside, I didn’t see anyone cross it on a horse.  But, if they did, they had better walk it across or be ready to pay their two bits.

It has been through three constructions and repairs due to being transported from another location and after being repaired due to flood damage and ice in 1977.  In July, 1987, the bridge was closed to traffic due to deterioration and reconstructed in 1989.  The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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The Windsor-Cornish Bridge holds another unique distinction.  It is one of the few bridges that used to be a toll bridge but no longer has a toll (usually it works the other way around in new England).  The bridge was purchased by the state in 1936 and operated it as a toll bridge until June 1, 1943.  The bridge does have two lane traffic but pedestrians traffic is not allowed.

The Windsor-Cornish Bridge is one resilient bridge.  Previously, there have been three bridges built on this site in 1796, 1824 and 1828. All of these bridges were destroyed by floods.  For now, though, the bridge still stands proudly.

The videos below show what driving through the tunnel (both ways) feels like.

Please stop by and follow me at New England Nomad’s Facebook Page.  Thank you!

 

About New England Nomad

Hi I'm Wayne. Welcome to my blog. I am a true New Englander through and through. I love everything about New England. I especially love discovering new places in New England and sharing my experiences with everyone. I tend to focus on the more unique and lesser known places and things in New England on my blog. Oh yeah, and I love dogs. I always try to include at least one dog in each of my blog posts. I discovered my love of photography a couple of years ago. I know, I got a late start. Now, I photograph anything that seems out of the ordinary, interesting, beautiful and/or unique. And I have noticed how every person, place or thing I photograph has a story behind it or him or her. I don't just photograph things or people or animals. I try to get their background, history or as much information as possible to give the subject more context and meaning. It's interesting how one simple photograph can evoke so much. I am currently using a Nikon D3200 "beginner's camera." Even though there are better cameras on the market, and I will upgrade some time, I love how it functions (usually) and it has served me well. The great thing about my blog is you don't have to be from New England, or even like New England to like my blog (although I've never met anyone who doesn't). All you have to like is to see and read about new or interesting places and things. Hopefully, you'll join me on my many adventures in New England! View all posts by New England Nomad
This entry was posted on Sunday, May 15th, 2016 at 3:17 am and tagged with , , , , , , , , and posted in bridge, historical, history, New England, new hampshire, photographs, photography, photos, Uncategorized, Vermont. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

16 responses to “Windsor-Cornish Bridge (Windsor, VT & Cornish, NH)”

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