Built in 1837, the Coombs Covered Bridge is a 107-foot-long covered bridge built in a Town lattice truss design, featuring a low clearance of 8 feet, 3 inches in height. The bridge spans across the Ashuelot River and is located on Old Westport Road in Winchester, New Hampshire, and is named for Anthony Coombs, Jr., who was a farmer who had a home in the local area. Whether Coombs was the original builder of the bridge or if the town decided that a covered bridge was needed at that location is unclear after a couple of centuries, one of the many historical notes that have been lost to time. However, this did not stop the Coombs Covered Bridge from becoming listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The covered bridge features stone abutments that are not secured with mortar or concrete, with the stones stacked atop each other. In 1984, the State of New Hampshire had plans to bypass the Coombs Covered Bridge, but instead of building a new bridge, the decision was later made to rehabilitate the bridge, just like what had been done previously in 1971. In 1997 and 1998, the bridge was rehabilitated by 3G Construction, which is owned by Stan Graton II, part of a family that specializes in covered bridge restoration. Today, you can drive across the Coombs Covered Bridge and take in the quiet surroundings. You can also combine visiting the Coombs Covered Bridge with seeing a number of other covered bridges nearby in places such as Ashuelot or Swanzey.
How to Get There:
Sources and Links:
NH Granite State Ambassadors - NH Covered Bridges
Monadnock Region - Covered Bridges in the Monadnock Region
The Pennsylvania Rambler - Coombs Covered Bridge
Stan Graton II 3G Construction - Coombs Covered Bridge, Winchester NH
DaleJTravis.com - New Hampshire Covered Bridges List
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