Cornish - Windsor Bridge - 100 Years - Cornish, NH
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 43° 28.397 W 072° 22.987
18T E 711657 N 4816700
The Cornish - Windsor Bridge spans the Connecticut River between Cornish NH and Windsor, VT.
Waymark Code: WMHM37
Location: New Hampshire, United States
Date Posted: 07/22/2013
Views: 7
A wooden plaque on the New Hampshire side was placed in 1996 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the bridge. The plaque reads:
CORNISH - WINDSOR
1866 - 1966
One Hundred year of continuous service to the
public ...Now (1996) the longest covered bridge
in the United States
COVERED BRIDGE ASSOCIATION OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
Another sign on the NH side of the bridge reads: WALK YOUR HORSES OR PAY A TWO DOLLAR FINE.
The Cornish - Windsor Bridge, that spans the Connecticut river between NH and VT, is the longest wooden bridge in the United States.
The bridge was constructed in 1866, is 449' and 5" long, and has two spans of 204' and 203'. It is 24' wide with a 19.5' roadway. Vertical clearance is 19.75' and it is rated to support 10 tons.
The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, and has been awarded the New Hampshire Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award.
An historical marker in a parking area south of the bridge gives the history of the bridge. It is inscribed:
SEAL OF THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
CORNISH - WINDSOR BRIDGE
----------------*-------------------
Built in 1866 at a cost of $9,000, this is the
longest wooden bridge in the United States and
the longest two-span covered bridge in the world.
The fourth bridge at this site, the 460-foot
structure was built by Bela J. Fletcher (1811 - 1877)
of Clarermont and james F. Tasker (1826-1903)
of Cornish, using a lattice truss patented by
architect Ithiel Town in 1820 and 1835. Built as
a toll bridge by a private corporation, the span
was purchased by the state of New Hampshire in
1936 and made toll-free in 1943.
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