Middle Covered Bridge - Woodstock, Vermont

The Middle Covered Bridge spans over the Ottaquechee River as the centerpiece bridge of Woodstock, Vermont, just a stone's throw away from the downtown business district. Built in 1969 by Milton S. Graton and his sons (now Arnold M. Graton Associates), the 181 foot long covered bridge was designed in a Town lattice through truss design and replaced an iron truss bridge called the Middle Bridge that had been rendered obsolete.

The Middle Covered Bridge is the first public covered bridge built in the State of Vermont since 1889. Builder Milton Graton constructed this masterpiece near the crossing, then in July 1969, it was pulled across the river by a team of oxen named Ben and Jo. The covered bridge was built using traditional methods and materials down to the wooden pegs in lieu of nails. Details of the construction of the Middle Covered Bridge can also be found in a book written entitled The Last of the Covered Bridge Builders by covered bridge builder Milton Graton.

The covered bridge was burned by arsonists on May 11, 1974. Fortunately, Milton Graton came to the rescue and was able to restore the covered bridge. Today, the bridge can be enjoyed by drivers and pedestrians alike, especially with its separate portals for pedestrian traffic. Visitors to the bridge will notice that while most of the bridge has a stained wood look, the north entrance to the bridge has been painted a white or light gray color. The covered bridge has a nice view in the background of Mount Tom, which was once a ski area. When I visited the Middle Covered Bridge during a snowy New England day, I definitely got the classic vibes of the Vermont of yore. I think it blends perfectly with its surroundings.

South entrance of the Middle Covered Bridge.

An icy, snowy Ottaquechee River, apparently with ice thick enough to run tracks along the river.

Bridge plaque.

Inside the covered bridge. The open Town lattice design allows the light to come into the bridge.

A parting shot of the Middle Covered Bridge.

How to Get There:

Sources and Links:
The Travels of Tug 44 - Middle Covered Bridge
Bridgehunter.com - Middle Covered Bridge 45-14-15
Vermont Covered Bridge Society - Middle Covered Bridge
Woodstock, Vermont - 4 covered bridges that epitomize Vermont charm: A visual tour

Comments

Hawaii Route 8930

Hawaii Route 8930 is a 2.5-mile State Highway on the Island of O'hau. Hawaii Route 8930 is aligned over Kualakai Parkway over the course of its entire alignment south from Interstate H-1 to Kapolei Parkway. Hawaii Route 8930 is one of the newest Hawaii Routes only having been completed during 2010. This page is part of the Gribblenation O'ahu Highways page. All Gribblenation and Roadwaywiz media related to the highway system of O'ahu can be found at the link below: https://www.gribblenation.org/p/gribblenation-oahu-highways-page.html Part 1; the history of Hawaii Route 8930 The history of Hawaii Route 8930 is brief given it is a modern facility. Hawaii Route 8930 and what was known as "North-South Road" were built to facilitate the developing areas of Kapolei on western O'ahu. According to hawaiihighways.com the first stage of Hawaii Route 8930 was completed from Kapolei Parkway north to Farrington Highway as a four-lane highway during November...

Madera County Road 607 and the Stockton-Los Angeles Road

Madera County Road 607 is an approximately seven-mile rural unsurfaced highway which spans from Road 600 near Raymond west to Road 29. Road 607 west from Raymond Road Cemetery (established in 1905) is part of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road corridor surveyed in 1853. The corridor lies in the gap between Fresno Crossing at the Fresno River west to Newton's Crossing at the Chowchilla River. The Buchanan Copper Mine would be along what is now Road 607 in the namesake Buchanan Hollow during July 1863. The Buchanan Mine is thought to have once had a population of between 1,000-1,500 residents by the early 1870s. Copper prices would decline in the decade after the Civil War and much of the activity at Buchanan shifted towards cattle ranching. The last businesses in the community would shutter during World War II and it is now a true ghost town. Part 1; the history of Madera County Road 607 and the Stockton-Los Angeles Road What is now Road 607 was a component of the larger Sto...

Paper Highways; Interstate H-4 through downtown Honolulu

The Hawaiian Island of O'ahu is home to four Interstate Highways; H-1, H-2, H-3 and H-201. Had history gone slightly differently during the 1960s a fifth Interstate corridor on O'ahu could have been constructed through downtown Honolulu and the neighborhood of Waikiki. The proposed corridor of Interstate H-4 can be seen above as it was presented by the Hawaii Department of Transportation during October 1968 . This page is part of the Gribblenation O'ahu Highways page. All Gribblenation and Roadwaywiz media related to the highway system of O'ahu can be found at the link below: https://www.gribblenation.org/p/gribblenation-oahu-highways-page.html The history of proposed Interstate H-4 The corridor of Interstate H-4 was conceived as largely following what is now Hawaii Route 92 on Nimitz Highway and Ala Moana Boulevard. Prior to the Statehood the first signed highways within Hawaii Territory came into existence during World War II. Dur...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog