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NY&NH - Devon Bridge (1848)

Fairfield County, Connecticut, and New Haven County, Connecticut

Photo 

Tech drawing by Douglas Butler

Photo taken by Douglas Butler in October 2019

Enlarge

BH Photo #484838

Map 

Description 

This structure was completed in September 1848 and was replaced on January 10, 1872 by a cast iron Whipple truss. The 7 covered Howe Truss spans were 1,293 feet long with a draw of 134'. It was the world's longest covered bridge when it was built and was the longest ever built in the state of Connecticut, even longer than the 1870 Shore Line Railway bridge at the mouth of the Connecticut River. On September 15, 1849 a Naugatuck Railroad passenger train and a NY&NH passenger train collided at the east entrance to the bridge and caused damage to some timbers that was repaired the next day. Another derailment took place at the eastern end on December 4, 1849 with a NY&NH passenger train derailing. The engine and tender went down the river bank but no damage was done to the bridge. On September 9, 1852 a New York bound NY&NH passenger train derailed due to a misplaced switch, ran into the bridge causing the engine & tender, and the first 125' section of the bridge to fall into the river. Fortunately the passenger cars did not follow and the engineer & fireman were able to jump clear without injury. (From lostbridges.org)

Facts 

Overview
Lost Covered Swing Howe through truss bridge over Housatonic River on New York & New Haven Railroad
Location
Milford, Fairfield County, Connecticut, and New Haven County, Connecticut
Status
Replaced by a new bridge
History
Built 1848; Replaced 1872
Railroads
- Naugatuck Railroad (NAUG)
- New York & New Haven Railroad (NY&NH)
Design
Howe through truss swing
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 150.0 ft.
Total length: 1,293.0 ft.
Also called
New York & New Haven Railroad Covered Bridge
07-01-22 / 07-05-24x
Approximate latitude, longitude
+41.20532, -73.10950   (decimal degrees)
41°12'19" N, 73°06'34" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
18/658503/4563273 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Milford
Inventory numbers
WGCB 07-01-22 / 07-05-24x (World Guide to Covered Bridges number)
BH 60660 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

19th Century (9,062)
Built 1848 (37)
Built during 1840s (306)
Connecticut (845)
Covered (2,754)
Covered Railroad Bridge (67)
Fairfield County, Connecticut (195)
Housatonic River (50)
Howe through truss (579)
Howe truss (722)
Lost (29,981)
Lost 1872 (8)
Lost during 1870s (101)
 Milford, Connecticut (10)
Movable (3,156)
Naugatuck Railroad (22)
New Haven County, Connecticut (188)
New York & New Haven Railroad (8)
Railroad (16,665)
Replaced by new bridge (20,398)
Span length 125-175 feet (4,495)
Stratford, Connecticut (8)
Swing (1,591)
Through truss (17,851)
Total length 1000-2500 feet (2,023)
Truss (36,749)

Update Log 

  • October 28, 2020: New photo from Douglas Butler
  • April 13, 2014: Added by Dave King

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Sources 

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