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Railroad #12 South Channel or Penacook Lower, Merrimack County

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Inventory Number: NH/29-07-30x
County: Merrimack County
Township: Boscawen
Town/Village: Penacook
Bridge Name: Railroad #12 South Channel or Penacook Lower
Crosses: Contoocook River
Truss type: Childs or Town
Spans: 1
Length: 163'
Roadway Width:
Built: 1867
Builder:
When Lost: 1920s
Cause:
Latitude: N43 17.19
Longitude: W071 35.39
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: Northern Railroad at the mouth of the Contoocook River.

Railroad bridge over the Merrimack River at Dustin Island, Penacook, NH
Bill Caswell Collection

Railroad #12 S. Channel Bridge, Boscawen, NH (1867-1920s)
Richard E. Roy Collection

Railroad #12 South Channel or Penacook Lower Bridge, Boscawen, Merrimack County, NH Built 1867 Lost 1920s
Richard E. Roy Collection

Comments:
Repaired in 1876. Two covered bridges carried the Boston & Maine Railroad across the mouth of the Contoocook River with Dustin Island and the Hannah Dustin monument in between them. Photos and postcards show the bridges during flooding in 1895 and 1913. A photo from 1888 shows the south bridge with an arch. Later photos show Town truss bridges at both locations. The south bridge was replaced with a steel truss.

Sources:
Knoblock, Glenn A.. New Hampshire Covered Bridges, 2002, page 102
Perry, Wayne. Notebook of New England Railroad Covered Bridge Information, Schedule of Property Transferred by the Northern Railroad to the Boston and Lowell Railroad Corporation, Under Lease, In Effect June 1, 1884.