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Rowell, Merrimack County

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Inventory Number: NH/29-07-08
State of New Hampshire Number:
County: Merrimack County
Township: Hopkinton
Town/Village: West Hopkinton
Bridge Name: Rowell
Crosses: Contoocook River
Truss type: Paddleford Variation & Arch
Spans: 1
Length: 167'
Roadway Width:
Built: 1853
Builder: Horace Childs
When Lost: standing
Cause:
Latitude: N43 11.557
Longitude: W071 44.925
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: 2.5 miles west of I-89 (Exit 6) on NH127, then just right on Rowell Bridge Rd.

Rowell Bridge, Hopkinton, Merrimack County, NH Built 1853
Richard E. Roy Collection

Rowell Bridge, Hopkinton, Merrimack County, NH Built 1853
Bill Caswell Photo, June 14, 2020

Rowell Bridge, Hopkinton, Merrimack County, NH Built 1853
Bill Caswell Photo

Rowell Bridge, Hopkinton, Merrimack County, NH Built 1853
Bill Caswell Photo, October 9, 2018

Comments:
17-panel truss. The bridge was built by Horace Childs of Henniker with the help of his brothers Enoch and Warren to replace the previous bridge lost during a freshet in the spring of 1852. According to the 1852 and 1853 town reports, the bridge cost a total of $2,637.64. The truss construction somewhat resembles a Paddleford design. It is unusual in that solid timber arches are fitted end to end and bolted to the side timbers to form the basic design. Most arches in other designs are laminated. A short time after it was constructed, a herd of cattle, driven faster than they should have been, moved the bridge off its abutments. The structure was brought back and securely fastened in place. Around 1930, a central pier was placed under the structure to strengthen the bridge, but under heavy loading, the bridge teetered. The top of the pier was removed and the bridge was found to function adequately without it. The structure was rebuilt by the state in 1965 at a cost of $9,521. It was rehabilitated in June of 1982 by the state for a cost of $9,000. The Rowell's Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Rebuilt 1995.

Sources:
Marshall, Richard G.. New Hampshire Covered Bridges : A Link With Our Past, 1994, page 19
History of Hopkinton New Hampshire, 1890, page 149
Knoblock, Glenn A.. New Hampshire Covered Bridges, 2002, page 79
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 51
Chandler, Kim Varney. Covered Bridges of New Hampshire, 2022, Pages 30-34

Compilation 2026 Covered Spans of Yesteryear

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