Russell Hill Bridge (Livermore Bridge)

Russell Hill Bridge (Livermore Bridge) - Wilton, New Hampshire

The Russell Hill Bridge (also known as the Livermore Bridge) in Wilton, New Hampshire is almost certainly one of its kind. This bridge is the only known example of a timber, half through, pony lattice truss in New Hampshire and possibly in all of North America. Visible as you pass by on NH 101 west of Wilton, the wooden boxed pony truss bridge of a Town lattice design spans over Blood Brook on an old alignment of Russell Hill Road.

It could be say that the wooden box design of this pony truss bridge was to weatherize the bridge. Plus, with the large number of covered bridges in New Hampshire, it was natural to use wood and timber in bridge construction. However, since the bridge is still open, it was still subject to the elements of nature, which may be the reason why there are not many examples left, and why the Russell Hill Bridge is a lone surviving example of this bridge design.

Built in 1937, the 52 foot long Russell Hill Bridge is not the first bridge to be located at this spot. There is evidence which suggests that there was a bridge at this location as far back as the middle of the 18th Century. However, by the middle of the 19th Century, that bridge was washed out and was replaced with a boxed pony truss style wooden bridge, similar in structure and scope to a covered bridge. The bridge's location was near a sawmill and dam just upstream on Blood Brook, with the original builder of the sawmill being Reverend Jonathan Livermore, which is where the bridge's alternative namesake comes from. This was also the site of a crossroads from the days of yore between Wilton Center to the east, New Ipswich to the south and Greenville to the southwest.

By 1937, it was time to rebuild the bridge. Fred Tuttle and Nehe Pajanen were paid $3278.11 and $224.05 for labor and materials to construct a new bridge over Blood Brook. Fred Tuttle was an experienced carpenter with a portfolio of having built many homes in New Hampshire, but the extent of his bridge building experience is unknown. Construction for the Russell Hill Bridge used new materials, but followed the design of the the bridge built in the 19th Century. At the time, there were other examples of wooden boxed pony truss bridges to follow, as the Boston and Maine Railroad used this design for a few of their bridges in New Hampshire. But, further research may show that this bridge is a rare survivor of a once common type or a rare survivor of a rare variant of a common type of bridge.

While the Russell Hill Bridge has been bypassed in favor of a modern bridge downstream and to the east, the bridge remains as a testament to New Hampshire's bridge construction history. The Russell Hill Bridge can be visited today, whether you park alongside NH 101 (but be careful) or follow the old alignment of Russell Hill Road to its end. Or you can virtually visit with the photos shown below.

Side profile of the bridge.

Some remaining overlaying pavement remains on the bridge.

Blood Brook.

The bridge no longer carries vehicular traffic.

Winter time view of the bridge.

Bridge plaque from the Wilton Heritage Commission explaining the history of the Russell Hill Bridge.

How to Get There:

Sources and Links:
The Bridgewright Blog - Numbers as Great as They Now are Few
Historic Structures - Livermore Truss Bridge, Wilton New Hampshire
Bridgehunter.com - Russell Hill Road Bridge 29-06-P1
Library of Congress - Livermore Bridge, Spanning Blood Brook at Russell Hill Road, Wilton, Hillsborough County, NH

Bleriot Ferry - Alberta

Alberta operates six ferries scattered throughout the province. Roughly twenty to twenty-five kilometers up the Red Deer River from the town of Drumheller is one of the most scenic ferry crossings in all of Wild Rose Country, the Bleriot Ferry. Using the North Dinosaur Trail (Alberta Highway 838, or AB 838), the Bleriot Ferry provides a scenic river cruise of sorts in the Canadian Badlands. The Bleriot Ferry started operating in 1913 as the Munson Ferry when a few bridges crossed the Red Deer River. The ferry was started by Andre Bleriot, the brother of famed early aviator Louis Bleriot, who became famous for being the first person to fly over the English Channel. At the time, the Alberta provincial government commissioned local residents to run the ferries. There were several ferries along the Red Deer River, and not only did they serve as vital transportation links, but they also served as local social hubs, since everyone had to take the ferries to go places. Over time, as the...

The Pollasky Bridge

The Pollasky Bridge near modern day Friant is a ruined highway bridge which was completed during early 1906 as part of the Fresno-Fresno Flats Road. The structure is one of the oldest known arch concrete spans to have been constructed in California. The bridge briefly carried California State Route 41 following the destruction of the Lanes Bridge in 1940. The Pollasky Bridge itself was destroyed by flooding during 1951, but the ruins can still be found on the Madera County side of the San Joaquin River. Pictured as the blog cover is the Pollasky Bridge as it was featured in the 1913 book "The Concrete Bridge." The structure can be seen crossing the San Joaquin River near Friant below on the 1922 United States Geological Survey Map. Part 1; the history of the Pollasky Bridge The Pollasky Bridge site is near modern day Friant of Fresno County. The community of Friant was established as Converse Ferry during 1852 on the San Joaquin Rive...

I-73/I-74 and NC Future Interstates Year in Review 2024

Welcome to another annual review of progress in constructing North Carolina's New and Future Interstate routes. While 2024 was not too exciting, with no new segments of major routes opening, there was 1 new interstate signing, another proposed new interstate route, and the near opening of a new segment for 2 routes. As tradition, I will start off with a review of what happened with I-73 and I-74 and then move on to the major news of the year about the other new and future routes. Work continued on the I-73/I-74 Rockingham Bypass through the year. The last few months have been hoping for news of its opening before 2025, without luck. Signs of its near completion included the placement of new signs, many with interstate shields uncovered, along the Bypass and intersecting roadways. For example, these went up along US 74 East: Overhead signage at Business 74 exit which contains the future ramp to I-73 North/I-74 West. Signage was also updated heading west on US 74 approaching the unop...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog