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Carlton or Whitcomb, Cheshire County

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

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Inventory Number: NH/29-03-07
State of New Hampshire Number:
County: Cheshire County
Township: Swanzey
Town/Village:
Bridge Name: Carlton or Whitcomb
Crosses: South Branch, Ashuelot River
Truss type: Queen
Spans: 1
Length: 67'
Roadway Width:
Built: 1869
Builder:
When Lost: standing
Cause:
Latitude: N42 51.281
Longitude: W072 16.464
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: 4.4 miles south of jct NH12 and southeast edge of Keene on NH32 (Old Homestead Hwy), then 0.2 miles left on Carlton Rd. West of East Swanzey.

Carlton Bridge, Swanzey, NH (Built 1869)
Richard E. Roy Collection

Carlton Bridge, Swanzey, Cheshire County, NH Built 1869
Bill Caswell Photo

Carlton or Whitcomb Bridge, Swanzey, Cheshire County, NH Built 1869
Jean Purdy Collection

Carlton or Whitcomb Bridge, Swanzey, Cheshire County, NH Built 1869
Todd Clark Collection

Carlton or Whitcomb Bridge, Swanzey, Cheshire County, NH Built 1869
Bill Caswell Photo, January 26, 2016

Comments:
Town records indicate the original bridge at this site was constructed in 1789, however, the exact date has not been verified. The current bridge was built in 1869. According to local tradition, the bridge was built by local barn builders since the truss construction of the bridge is similar to that used in barns. When it was built, a wagon fully loaded with hay was used as a standard for the height and width of the opening. The name has been spelled as both Carlton and Carleton. It wasn't uncommon for a bridge to be named for a nearby landowner or the builder. There is a P. P. Carlton in an 1877 Cheshire County Atlas living in the first house east of the covered bridge. Philip P. Carlton (1814-1890) is found in numerous records of the time and is buried in Mount Caeser Cemetery in Swanzey. His name is consistently spelled “Carlton”. The bridge was closed in June 1974 to await town appropriations for repairs, rebuilding, or reconstruction. On Flag Day, June 14, 1975, as a part of the Swanzey Bicentennial Commission program, the Carleton Bridge was painted by residents of the town. It was the smallest of the four covered bridges to be painted by the townspeople and was completed in five hours time. The Carleton Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 10, 1975. It received significant repairs in 1998.

Sources:
Marshall, Richard G.. New Hampshire Covered Bridges : A Link With Our Past, 1994, page 15
Information received from James Garvin by email in August 2016
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 46
Chandler, Kim Varney. Covered Bridges of New Hampshire, 2022, Pages 21-24

Compilation 2026 Covered Spans of Yesteryear

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