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Babb's, Cumberland County

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Inventory Number: ME/19-03-01x
County: Cumberland County
Township: Gorham - Windham
Town/Village:
Bridge Name: Babb's
Crosses: Presumpscott River
Truss type: Queen
Spans: 1
Length: 66 clear', 73 floor
Roadway Width:
Built: 1864
Builder:
When Lost: 06 May 1973
Cause: Arson
Latitude: N43 45.96
Longitude: W070 26.88
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: 1.1 miles north of jct ME237 on US202/ME4, then 1.6 miles left on River Rd and 0.4 miles left on Hurricane Rd. NNW South Windham.

Babb's Bridge, Gorham-Windham, Cumberland County, ME Built 1864 Arson 6 May 1973
Howard Bogue Photo (September 1959), Richard E. Roy Collection

Babb's Bridge, Gorham-Windham, Cumberland County, ME Built 1864 Arson 6 May 1973
October 1957 Photo, Richard E. Roy Collection

Babb's Bridge, Gorham-Windham, Cumberland County, ME Built 1864 Arson 6 May 1973
Roy Wentzel Photo, Maine Department of Transportation Archives, March 15, 1945

Babb's Bridge, Gorham-Windham, Cumberland County, ME Built 1864 Arson 6 May 1973
Roy Wentzel Photo, Maine Department of Transportation Archives, April 4, 1958

Comments:
The original 1864 structure cost $318 to build and served the towns of Gorham and Windham until it was lost to arson on May 6, 1973. Plans were prepared to construct a concrete replacement. However, a large segment of the local population objected. The selectmen of both towns requested that the state Department of Transportation construct an exact replica of the original bridge. The state agreed and appropriated $75,000 for the new structure. The new plans called for a bridge that not only looked like the original but was built using the same historically authentic techniques. Its lumber was milled in Gorham, Maine, and the bridge was erected by a state Department of Transportation crew. The new bridge was dedicated on July 4, 1976.

Sources:
Lane, Oscar F.. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 1972, page 23
National Society For the Preservation of Covered Bridges. Covered Bridge Topics, Volume LVIII, No. 2, Spring 2000, page 10
Conwill, Joseph D.. Images of America - Maine's Covered Bridges, 2003, page 32

The images in this collection may be protected under copyright law and may only be used for educational, teaching, and research purposes.
If the intended use is beyond these purposes, it is the responsibility of the user to obtain the appropriate permissions from the owner stated in the image's credits.