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Documenting North America's past & present covered bridges

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New York & New Haven Railroad, Fairfield County

If you find errors in the data please contact Bill Caswell.

If you would like to provide information on covered bridges that no longer exist from your state, or adopt a state to work on, we would certainly welcome your assistance. Please contact Trish Kane for more information.

Inventory Number: CT/07-01-22x / CT-05-24x
County: Fairfield County / New Haven County
Township: Milford - Stratford
Town/Village: Devon - Naugatuck Junction
Bridge Name: New York & New Haven Railroad
Crosses: Housatonic River
Truss type: Howe
Spans: 7
Length: 1293'
Roadway Width:
Built: Sep 1848
Builder:
When Lost: 10 Jan 1872
Cause: Replaced
Latitude: N41 12.32
Longitude: W073 06.58
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New York & New Haven Railroad Bridge, Milford-Stratford, Fairfield County, CT Built Sep 1848 Replaced 10 Jan 1872
Todd Clark Collection

Comments:
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.

Sources:
Charlie Dunn, New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association, Inc.
DeVito, Michael C.. Connecticut's Old Timbered Crossings, 1964, page 47
Caswell, William S. Jr.. Images of America - Connecticut & Rhode Island Covered Bridges, 2011, Page 81