The West Woodstock Bridge is a historic steel bridge, carrying Mill Road across the Ottauquechee River in the village of West Woodstock, Vermont. Built in 1900, it is the oldest documented Pennsylvania through truss bridge in the state. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.[1]

West Woodstock Bridge
West Woodstock Bridge is located in Vermont
West Woodstock Bridge
West Woodstock Bridge is located in the United States
West Woodstock Bridge
LocationMill Rd. (Town Hwy. 50) over the Ottauquechee River, West Woodstock, Vermont
Coordinates43°36′51″N 72°32′36″W / 43.61417°N 72.54333°W / 43.61417; -72.54333
Arealess than one acre
Built1900 (1900)
Built byGroton Bridge & Manufacturing Co.
Architectural stylePennsylvania through truss
MPSMetal Truss, Masonry, and Concrete Bridges in Vermont MPS
NRHP reference No.92001038[1]
Added to NRHPAugust 27, 1992

Description and history

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The West Woodstock Bridge stands just north of Woodstock Union High School, spanning the Ottauquechee River east of U.S. Route 4 (US 4) in an east–west orientation. It is a single-span Pennsylvania through truss, a variant of the Pratt truss with additional vertical members, and its elements are connected by pins instead of rivets. It is 174 feet (53 m) in length, and rests on rubblestone abutments. It is 16.3 feet (5.0 m) wide, carrying two lanes of traffic, and has a portal height of 14.4 feet (4.4 m). The deck consists of rolled I-beam stringers with wooden flooring. Elements of bridge exhibit modest Victorian styling.[2]

The bridge was fabricated by the Groton Manufacturing Company of New York, and is one of two bridges in the state known to be manufactured by them. The company had originally offered the town an already-built structure intended for a different location in New York at a discount price, but was forced to build a new structure at a loss when the first was retained by the first municipality at a different location. The bridge abutments are believed to stand on foundations dating to 1789.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b Evelyn Speciale (1992). "NRHP nomination for West Woodstock Bridge". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-09-09. with photos from 1992