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Comstock, Franklin County

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

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Inventory Number: VT/45-06-04
County: Franklin County
Township: Montgomery
Town/Village:
Bridge Name: Comstock
Crosses: Trout River
Truss type: Town
Spans: 1
Length: 69'
Roadway Width:
Built: 1883
Builder: Sheldon & Savanard Jewett
When Lost: standing
Cause:
Latitude: N44 53.979
Longitude: W072 38.677
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: 0.4 miles west of main intersection (On The Common) in Montgomery on VT118, then 0.2 miles left on Comstock Bridge Rd.

Comstock Bridge, Montgomery, Franklin County, VT Built 1883
Bill Caswell Photo

Comstock Bridge, Montgomery, Franklin County, VT Built 1883
Henry A. Gibson Photo, September 15, 1948, NSPCB Archives

Comstock Bridge, Montgomery, Franklin County, VT Built 1883
Bill Caswell Photo, March 9, 2013

Comstock Bridge, Montgomery, Franklin County, VT Built 1883
Jenn Caswell Photo, March 9, 2013

Comstock Bridge, Montgomery, Franklin County, VT Built 1883
Bob Watts Photo, September 2020

Comstock Bridge, Montgomery, Franklin County, VT Built 1883
Todd Clark Collection

Comments:
Per the St. Albans Daily Messenger, February 15, 1883, "The Jewett brothers have the contract to build a covered bridge near John Comstock's the coming season." According to the National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form, for Comstock Covered Bridge, November 19, 1974, "The Comstock Covered Bridge crosses the Trout River at the west edge of Montgomery village. Five other covered wood bridges remain in the town of Montgomery, giving it the highest concentration of covered bridges by town in Vermont. Two brothers, Sheldon and Savannah Jewett of Montgomery, built all six of the bridges; they completed the Comstock Bridge in 1883. The Jewetts used Town lattice trusses in all of the bridges, which also share common architectural design and similar dimensions except for length." Distribution beams have been added under its deck. The bridge also features a side port unique to the area which exposes the Town lattice truss. Abutments are of irregular stone and laid without mortar. The west abutment stands on exposed bedrock. In 1997 a flood washed out the bridge’s approaches which were repaired in 1998. Beginning in the latter half of 2003 with work completed in 2004, the bridge was totally restored. The restoration included repair and/or replacement of deteriorated truss members, removing the old distribution beams and installing new floor beams and flooring. A new standing-seam steel roof as well as replacing some sideboards on the upstream side and installing new guardrails along the roadway at each portal.

Sources:
St. Albans Daily Messenger, February 15, 1883.
Conwill, Joseph D.. Images of America - Vermont Covered Bridges, 2004, page 108
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 142

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