Built in 1890, the 227 foot long Saco River Covered Bridge gracefully spans over the Saco River in Conway, New Hampshire and is the third covered bridge at this location. In 1850, Jacob Berry and Peter Paddleford built a Paddleford through truss style covered bridge to replace a crudely framed log bridge that had collapsed at the same site. The original Saco River Covered Bridge was crashed into by the Swift River Covered Bridge in 1869 during a devastating flood that carried the Swift River Covered Bridge down the river. The Saco River Covered Bridge was knocked off its abutments as a result of the crash and both bridges were carried 2 miles downstream. The remains of the original Saco River Covered Bridge and the Swift River Covered Bridge were used to build the still standing Swift River Covered bridge, located not far up the river from the Saco River Covered Bridge. The Saco River covered bridge was rebuilt by Allen and Warren of Conway, New Hampshire, but in 1890, met a fiery fate as it was destroyed by a tannery fire.
The current Saco River Covered Bridge was built in 1890 by Charles Broughton and Frank Broughton and restored from 1987 to 1989. It is located on East Side Road in Conway, New Hampshire and is easily accessible from NH 16 and NH 153. On the day I went, it was pretty hot out, so there were a number of people using a small beach near the covered bridge as a swimming hole or for paddling along the Saco River. It is a pretty neat covered bridge to visit or drive through, I would say.
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| The Saco River Covered Bridge is a happening place. |
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| Small monument commemorating the reconstruction of the bridge between 1987 and 1989. |
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| Street level view of the Saco River Covered Bridge. |
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| Where the Swift River (to the left) comes in to join the Saco River (to the right), as seen from the Saco River Covered Bridge. |
How to Get There:
Sources and Links:
New Hampshire DOT / New Hampshire Bridges - Saco River Covered Bridge
NH Tour Guide - Saco River Covered Bridge
Wanderlust Family Adventure - Saco River Covered Bridge - New Hampshire
Bridgehunter.com - Saco River Covered Bridge 29-02-03
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