NRHP Reference # 73000210 Added to NRHP 2 July 1973 | Area 4,000 m² | |
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Location About 8 miles (13 km) west of Windsor village, Churchill Road S. of Vermont Route 44, West Windsor, Vermont Address Brownsville, VT 05037, USA Hours Open today · Open 24 hoursSundayOpen 24 hoursMondayOpen 24 hoursTuesday(Vermont Town Meeting Day)Open 24 hoursHours might differWednesdayOpen 24 hoursThursdayOpen 24 hoursFridayOpen 24 hoursSaturdayOpen 24 hours | ||
Best's Covered Bridge, also known as the Swallow Bridge, is a historic covered bridge, carrying Churchill Road over Mill Creek, just south of Vermont Route 44 in West Windsor, Vermont. Built in 1899, it is an architecturally distinctive laminated arch structure with a post-and-beam superstructure. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Description and history
Best's Covered Bridge is located about 8 miles (13 km) west of Windsor's village center, just south of VT 44 on Churchill Road. It is a single-span laminated arch structure, with a total length of 37 feet (11 m) and a roadway width of 12.5 feet (3.8 m) (one lane). It rests on stone abutments. The arch is formed out of five layers of planking that have been laminated and bolted together. The floor stringers are supported by iron suspension rods descending from the arches, which are complemented by wooden posts rising above the arches. The arches are protected by a post-and-beam frame structure, its exterior clad in vertical boarding, with a metal roof overhead.
The bridge was built in 1889 by A.W. Swallows. The laminated arch construction is unusual for 19th-century bridges in Vermont, but is well suited for use on a short crossing on a lightly traveled road.