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Bartonsville Covered Bridge 45-13-11

Windham County, Vermont
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Photos 

Bartonsville Covered Bridge

Photo taken by C Hanchey in October 2009

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Videos 

Bartonsville Covered Bridge found downstream

Bartonsville Covered Bridge, spanned the Williams River in Lower Baronsville, Vermont. Built in 1870. Destroyed by Hurricane Irene flood 8/28/11. Washed downstream one-quarter mile.

Video From Youtube

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Caught on tape: Irene's flooding takes out bridge

Amateur footage provided by Susan Hammond shows flooding from Irene's torrential rain taking out a covered bridge in lower Bartonsville, Vermont.

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Map 

Description 

In 1869, the Williams River flooded and changed it's course. This bridge was built in 1870 to span the new channel.

Tropical storm Irene in caused the river to flood an on 2011 Aug 28 the bridge was washed 0.5 miles downstream. On November 1, 2011 the Rockingham select board agreed to build a new covered bridge at the site. The new bridge opened 2013 Jan 26

View Uglybridges.com report

Facts 

Overview
Lost covered bridge over Williams River on C3008 (Lower Bartonsville Rd) in Rockingham
Location
Windham County, Vermont
Status
Destroyed by flooding from Hurricane Irene on Aug 28, 2011
History
Built 1870; rehabilitated 1982; destroyed 2011; Replace with a new bridge 2013 Jan 26
Design
Covered Through truss
Town Lattice Truss
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 142.1 ft.
Total length: 157.2 ft.
Deck width: 14.4 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 8.5 ft.
Recognition
Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on July 2, 1973
Approximate latitude, longitude
+43.22333, -72.53667   (decimal degrees)
43°13'24" N, 72°32'12" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
18/700057/4788562 (zone/easting/northing)
USGS topographic map
Saxtons River
Inventory numbers
NRHP 73000201 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
WGCB 45-13-11 (World Guide to Covered Bridges number)
BH 34069 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection (as of 07/2008)
Deck condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Very Good (8 out of 9)
Appraisal: Functionally obsolete
Sufficiency rating: 17.6 (out of 100)
Average daily traffic (as of 2008)
450

Categories 

19th Century (3,854)
Built 1870 (62)
Built during 1870s (547)
Covered (927)
Destroyed by flood (107)
Destroyed by storm (13)
Functionally obsolete (7,054)
Lattice through truss (202)
Lattice truss (269)
Lost (10,499)
Lost 2011 (256)
Lost during 2010s (707)
 NR-listed (2,355)
One-lane traffic (7,119)
Owned by township (1,820)
Span length 125-175 feet (2,966)
Through truss (9,256)
Total length 125-175 feet (4,156)
Town lattice truss (116)
Truss (23,618)
Vermont (265)
Windham County, Vermont (39)
Wooden deck (5,415)

Update Log 

  • January 28, 2013: Updated by Fmiser: Expanded description, updated history to mention the new replacement.
  • January 28, 2013: New photos from Robert Myers
  • November 6, 2011: Updated by John Borthwick securevermont.com: Plans to replace with new covered bridge
  • August 30, 2011: New video from Nathan Holth
  • August 28, 2011: Updated by Tony Dillon: Destroyed by flooding from Hurricane Irene
  • October 14, 2009: Updated by C Hanchey: Bridge is known as the Bartonsville Covered Bridge; added NRHP info

Sources 

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Comments 

Bartonsville Covered Bridge 45-13-11
Posted January 29, 2013, by Fmiser (fmiser [at] gmail [dot] com)

It seems the signs are made from boards recovered from the old bridge. :)

Like Art said, web navigation is easier if the new is on the same page as the old.

But I have been digging some more. The new bridge is longer, wider, higher, and uses laminated lumber for some of the high load components. The abutments are fully modern construction with steel piles to bedrock. So the new one clearly is not an 1870 bridge.

I'm glad they choose to build a timber bridge with the same type truss and similar construction technics - but I'm beginning to think the new one can't be on the same listing as the old one - except as a related bridge.

Bartonsville Covered Bridge 45-13-11
Posted January 29, 2013, by Art S (asuckewer [at] knite [dot] com)

An accurate recreation of a bridge recently washed away by a storm is about as good as it gets given the circumstances. If they took a few planks off the old bridge and incorporated them into this bridge, would it be considered a 'restoration' of the original? - that's what the do with old planes. Thus, my first argument is to keep it with the original because it is a bridge built to the original's specs in the original location so there is continuity.

My second argument is keep it together for ease of website navigation.

Bartonsville Covered Bridge 45-13-11
Posted January 29, 2013, by Fmiser (fmiser [at] gmail [dot] com)

Why are there five photos of other covered bridges located in other states on this page???

Anyway - since it seems the new bridge at this location is new construction, I'm thinking it should not be a part of this page, bug get it's own new page - if it gets a page at all as it's certainly not historic now!

Thoughts?

Bartonsville Covered Bridge 45-13-11
Posted January 28, 2013, by Art S. (asuckewer [at] knite [dot] com)

On a positive note:

The Bartonsville Bridge was replicated and has reopened:

http://www.wcax.com/story/20714972/historic-bridge-back-open

http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33952

Regards,

Art S.

Bartonsville Covered Bridge 45-13-11
Posted August 29, 2011, by Nathan Holth (form3 [at] historicbridges [dot] org)

Video footage of the actual washout available here:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2095508065389&comments

Bartonsville Covered Bridge 45-13-11
Posted August 28, 2011, by Tony Dillon (spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com)

This one was also lost to Irene