Crosses Connecticut River Design Howe truss bridge Address Lancaster, NH 03584, USA Area 4,000 m² Bridge type Truss bridge Added to NRHP 12 December 1976 | ID number 29-04-08 (NH #30) Total length 266.25 ft (81.15 m) Opened 1911 Location Lancaster Body of water Connecticut River | |
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Locale Lancaster, New Hampshire to Lunenburg, Vermont Maintained by Towns of Lancaster and Lunenburg Similar Columbia Bridge, Pittsburg–Clarksville Covered Bridge, Cornish–Windsor Covered Bridge, Blow‑Me‑Down Covered Bridge, Cold River Bridge | ||
The Mount Orne Bridge is a covered bridge over the Connecticut River between Lancaster, New Hampshire, and Lunenburg, Vermont. It joins Elm Street (New Hampshire Route 135) in South Lancaster with River Road (Town Highway 1) in Lunenburg. Built in 1911, it is one of two Howe truss bridges across the Connecticut River. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Description and history
The Mount Orne Covered Bridge is located in a rural area of eastern Lunenburg and southwestern Lancaster. It spans the Connecticut River in a roughly northwest-southeast orientation. It consists of two spans of wood-and-iron Howe trusses, resting on stone abutments and piers which have been partially faced in concrete. The overall length of the bridge is 267 feet (81 m), with the western span measuring 134 feet (41 m) and the eastern span one foot less. The bridge has an overall width of 20.5 feet (6.2 m), with a roadway of 15.5 feet (4.7 m). The bridge is covered by a corrugated metal gable roof, and is sided in vertical boarding that extends only partway to the eaves. The siding extends around to the insides of the portals.
The bridge was built in 1911 by the Berlin Construction Company, replacing one that was washed away by flooding in 1905. It is one of only two Howe truss bridges over the Connecticut River; the other, the Columbia Bridge, was built in 1912. The two bridges are among the last to be built during the historic period of covered bridge construction in either state. The costs of construction and maintenance are shared by the two towns. The most recent rededication of the bridge took place on November 23, 1983.