Columbia Bridge (Connecticut River)

Columbia Bridge
Columbia Bridge
	Bridge in U.S. states of Vermont & New Hampshire
Coordinates	44°51′11″N 71°33′04″W / 44.853°N 71.551°W
Crosses	Connecticut River
Locale	Columbia, New Hampshire and Lemington, Vermont
Maintained by	Town of Columbia
ID number	29-04-07 (NH #33); 45-05-02 (VT)
Characteristics
Design	Howe truss bridge
Total length	145.75 ft (44.425 m)
Width	20.58 ft (6.273 m) (maximum), 14.66 ft (4.468 m) (roadway)
Longest span	131.5 ft (40.08 m)
Load limit	3 tons
Clearance above	13.08 ft (3.987 m)
History
Construction end	1912
	Columbia Covered Bridge
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Nearest city	Columbia, New Hampshire
Area	1 acre (0.4 ha)
Architect	Charles Babbitt
Architectural style	Howe truss covered bridge
NRHP reference No.	76000123
Added to NRHP	December 12, 1976

The Columbia Bridge is a covered bridge, carrying Columbia Bridge Road over the Connecticut River between Columbia, New Hampshire and Lemington, Vermont. Built in 1911–12, it is one of only two New Hampshire bridges (along with the Mount Orne Covered Bridge) built with Howe trusses, and is one of the last covered bridges built in the historic era of covered bridge construction in both states. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.^[2]

Description and history

The Columbia Bridge stands in southeastern Lemington and northwestern Columbia, both rural communities in the northern parts of their respective states. It carries Columbia Bridge Road between United States Route 3 in New Hampshire and Vermont Route 102 in Vermont. It is in a rural agricultural setting, and is oriented northwest-to-southeast across the Connecticut River, on abutments of dry laid stone that have been faced in concrete. It is a wood-iron Howe truss design, with a single span that is 146 feet (45 m) long. The bridge has a total width of 20.5 feet (6.2 m) and a roadway with of 15.5 feet (4.7 m), and an internal clearance of 13 feet (4.0 m). The exterior is sheathed in vertical board siding, which extends a short way into each portal to protect the truss ends. The siding on the north side rises to a height of 6 feet (1.8 m), leaving an open space between it and the gabled roof.^[3]

The bridge was built by Charles Babbitt in 1912, replacing one destroyed by fire the previous year, and is the third to stand on the site. The bridge is considered to be one of the last built in either state during the historic period of covered bridge construction.^[3] It was rehabilitated by the state of New Hampshire in 1981 at a cost of $143,000.