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Covered Bridges - Gateways to the Past

© Christina Coruth

A Sunday drive along the country roads of New Hampshire can suddenly become a stroll into the days of yesteryear if you happen upon one of New Hampshire's many covered bridges. They are the gateway to the past, a reminder of a young nation carved out of wilderness. Beautiful and practical, they witnessed the everyday comings and goings of hard working people, as well as stolen kisses during moonlit buggy rides.

Although it isn't known when or where the first covered bridges were built, it is thought the earliest were in Europe, perhaps as early as the 13th century. It is certain that covered bridges predated the settling of the New World. Therefore, it's not surprising that covered bridges would soon be found in the New World, particularly the Northeast and Pennsylvania, where forests for timber and skilled craftsmen were plentiful and the need for crossing waterways was great.

New Hampshire was a perfect example of this scenario. Settlers found that New Hampshire forests were a rich source of supplies for the most important industry of the day - shipbuilding. And, of course, the shipbuilding industry required, and ultimately created, a skilled labor force of carpenters. Colonial New Hampshire thrived on the lumber and shipbuilding industries. As settlers moved inland, commerce depended on the ability of the farmers to get their produce to market. That in turn created a need for a road system. One of New Hampshire's greatest resources, an abundance of rivers, streams, and ponds, soon became an obstacle to commerce.

Ferries and bridges seemed the likely answer to the problem. Improved designs, including those of Ithiel Town of New Haven, Connecticut, Stephen Long of Hopkinton, New Hampshire, and William Howe of Spencer, Massachusetts made it easier to build bridges, which could withstand the tests of time. Covered bridges are beautiful and are the subject of romance and folklore. Yet, the reason for covering the bridges was far more practical than the aesthetics. Protection against the snow and rain prevented the main structures from rotting and, therefore, added many years to the life of the bridges. Some of these wonderful wooden structures have survived for 80 years.

Over 400 covered bridges once spanned the rivers and streams of New Hampshire. Time, floods, neglect, and arsonists have left about 55 remaining. New Hampshire recognized the historical and aesthetic value of these bridges, and, in 1963 passed a law to protect them. By that law, permission and a public hearing are required before a covered bridge may be destroyed. Funds are available from the State for the restoration of covered bridges.

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