Sawyers Crossing Covered Bridge

The Sawyers Crossing Covered Bridge, also known as the Cresson Bridge, is a wooden covered bridge carrying Sawyers Crossing Road over the Ashuelot River in northern Swanzey, New Hampshire. Built in 1859 to replace an older bridge, it continues to serve as a part of Swanzey's transportation network, and is one of the state's few surviving 19th-century covered bridges. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[1]

Sawyers Crossing Covered Bridge
Sawyers Crossing/Cresson Bridge
LocationSawyers Crossing Road over the Ashuelot River, Swanzey, New Hampshire
Coordinates42°53′10″N 72°17′12″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1859 (1859)
Architectural styleTown truss
NRHP reference No.78000211[1]
Added to NRHPNovember 14, 1978

Description and history

The Sawyers Crossing Covered Bridge is located north of Swanzey's village center, spanning the Ashuelot River in a roughly east–west orientation. It is a two-span Town truss construction, resting on abutments and a central pier made of split granite. Its exterior is finished in vertical board siding, and it is covered by a metal gabled roof. The portals are rectangular with rounded corners at the top. It is 117 feet (36 m) long and 17 feet (5.2 m) wide.[2]

The bridge was built in 1859 to replace a bridge built in 1771. It has had metal parts (tie rods and bolts) added to increase its strength, and it continues to receive regular maintenance. It gained some notice in 1953, when a picture of it was used in a cigarette advertising campaign, in which it was known as the "kissing bridge".[2]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "NRHP nomination for Sawyers Crossing Covered Bridge". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-04-26.
Side view of the bridge
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