Rexleigh Covered Bridge

Located just outside of picturesque Salem, New York, the Rexleigh Covered Bridge is one of four covered bridges that are still standing in Washington County, and one of thee covered bridges that cross the Batten Kill while in New York. There are more covered bridges that cross the Batten Kill in neighboring Vermont. The Rexleigh Covered Bridge is also the location for a popular swimming hole. The 107 foot long bridge was originally built by Reuben Comins and George Wadsworth in 1874 and is one of only three Howe truss bridges remaining in New York State. The bridge was supposedly prefabricated in Troy, New York and transported by rail to Rexleigh where it was reassembled in place. One unique feature of the Rexleigh Covered Bridge are the cast iron shoes, which were used to fit the bridge timbers into joints with iron rods. This feature has been incorporated into no other known covered bridge in the United States of America.

The Rexleigh Covered Bridge has had its share of events over the years. A number of flooding events almost washed the bridge downstream or caused the bridge supports to settle. By 1979, a decision to demolish and replace the bridge was made, but thanks to local support, the old covered bridge was saved. In 1984 and again in 2007, the bridge was rehabilitated. If you visit the bridge today, you will find a quiet pastoral scene. Looking at the Batten Kill from the bridge, there are remnants of what looks like an old mill upstream from the bridge as well. So there are many reasons to enjoy this quiet, red covered bridge.

Old mill?

Looking upstream at the Batten Kill.

One of the portals to the covered bridge.

Side profile of the Rexleigh Covered Bridge.

The area around the bridge is also a popular swimming hole.

Sources and Links:
New York State Covered Bridge Society - Rexleigh Covered Bridge
Town of Salem, New York - Around The Town

How to Get There:

Crossposted to http://unlockingnewyork.blogspot.com/2018/02/rexleigh-covered-bridge.html

Comments

Interstate 40's Tumultuous Ride Through the Pigeon River Gorge

In the nearly 60 years Interstate 40 has been open to traffic through the Pigeon River Gorge in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it has been troubled by frequent rockslides and damaging flooding, which has seen the over 30-mile stretch through North Carolina and Tennessee closed for months at a time. Most recently, excessive rainfall from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 saw sections of Interstate 40 wash away into a raging Pigeon River. While the physical troubles of Interstate 40 are well known, how I-40 came to be through the area is a tale of its own. Interstate 40 West through Haywood County near mile marker 10. I-40's route through the Pigeon River Gorge dates to local political squabbles in the 1940s and a state highway law written in 1921. A small note appeared in the July 28, 1945, Asheville Times. It read that the North Carolina State Highway Commission had authorized a feasibility study of a "...water-level road down [the] Pigeon River to the Tennessee l...

Massena Center Suspension Bridge

The Massena Center Bridge, also known as the Holton D. Robinson Bridge, has had quite the tumultuous history. Situated on the Grasse River just east of Massena, New York in the hamlet of Massena Center, the Massena Center Bridge is a reminder of the efforts the community has made in order to connect over the river. The first and only other known bridge to be built at Massena Center was built in 1832, but that bridge was never long for this world. During the spring of 1833, the Grasse River dammed itself due to an ice dam, flooded and lifted the bridge off its foundation, destroying the bridge in the process. The floods were frequent in the river during the spring, often backing up the river from Hogansburg and past Massena Center, but not to nearby Massena. After the first bridge disappeared, local residents had to resort to traveling seven miles west to Massena to cross the next closest bridge, and that was no easy task for a horse and buggy. However, it was many decades befo...

The Dead Man's Curve of Interstate 90 and Innerbelt Freeway in Cleveland

"Dead Man's Curve" refers to the transition ramp Interstate 90 takes between Cleveland Memorial Shoreway onto the Innerbelt Freeway in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Said curve includes a sharp transition between the two freeways which is known for a high rate of accidents. Currently the curve (not officially named) has a 35 MPH advisory speed and numerous safety features intended to mitigate crashes. When the Interstate System was first conceived during 1956, Interstate 90 was intended to use the entirety Cleveland Memorial Shoreway and connect to the Northwest Freeway through Lakewood. The Innerbelt Freeway was initially planned as the northernmost segment of Interstate 71. The extension of Cleveland Memorial Shoreway west of Edgewater Park was never constructed which led to Interstate 90 being routed through the Innerbelt Freeway. Part 1; the history of Cleveland's Innerbelt Freeway and Deadman's Curve The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 was signe...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog