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Documenting North America's past & present covered bridges

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Jay, Essex 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: NY/32-16-01
County: Essex County
Township: Jay
Town/Village: Jay
Bridge Name: Jay
Crosses: East Branch, Ausable River
Truss type: Howe
Spans: 1
Length: 175'
Roadway Width:
Built: 1857
Builder: George M. Burt
When Lost: standing
Cause:
Latitude: N44 22.383
Longitude: W073 43.511
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: 0.2 miles southeast of jct of NY9N/86 on a road opposite NY86 (John Fountain Rd.), then 250' right on Brick Store Ln. at southeast edge of Jay.

Jay Bridge being reset on its abutments, Jay, Essex County, NY Built 1857
Trish Kane Photo (Nov 2006)

Jay Bridge, Jay, Essex County, NY Built 1857
Trish Kane Photo (Oct 1994)

Jay Bridge, Jay, Essex County, NY Built 1857
Todd Clark Collection

Jay Bridge, Jay, Essex County, NY Built 1857
Trish Kane Photo (Oct. 21, 2007)

Jay Bridge, Jay, Essex County, NY Built 1857
Richard Sanders Allen Collection, NSPCB Archives, 1940's Photo

Jay Bridge, Jay, Essex County, NY Built 1857
Paul Chandler Photo, August 1981

Comments:
The Jay Bridge was built by George M. Burt after a flood carried away the previous bridge at this location in 1856. It originally had two additional small spans, one was a stringer, the other a queenpost. The original crossing was 240 feet. The additional spans were removed in the 1950's (c1954) after an accident where a loaded lumber truck fell through the bridge floor on February 26, 1953. Only the 175-foot Howe span was retained. Additional support piers and structural steel were also added at this time. In June, 1997 the bridge was cut into 3 sections and lifted and moved to dry land for subsequent preservation. The process of reconstructing and renewing the bridge used as much of the original timbers as was practical, but took a number of years to begin (2003) and complete (2005). Significant damage was present in the lower portions of the truss, in part due to road salt. It was put back over the river and rededicated in October 2007.

Sources:
Allen, Richard Sanders. Old North Country Bridges, 1983, page 25
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 56

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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.