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Documenting North America's past & present covered bridges

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Fairlee-Orford, Orange 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: VT/45-09-40x / NH-05-94x
County: Orange County / Grafton County
Township: Fairlee - Orford
Town/Village:
Bridge Name: Fairlee-Orford
Crosses: Connecticut River
Truss type: Squared-Timber Town Lattice
Spans: 2
Length: c440'
Roadway Width:
Built: 1856
Builder: James Tasker and Bela Fletcher
When Lost: 1936
Cause: Flood
Latitude: N43 54.42
Longitude: W072 08.39
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: Bridge St. between Fairlee and Orford.

Fairlee-Orford Bridge, Orford, NH - Fairlee, VT. Built 1856, Lost during flood 1936
Eastern Illustrating Postcard, Richard E. Roy Collection

Fairlee-Orford Bridge, Orford, NH - Fairlee, VT. Built 1856, Lost during flood 1936
Todd Clark Collection

Fairlee-Orford Bridge, Orford, NH - Fairlee, VT. Built 1856, Lost during flood 1936
Margaret Foster Collection, NSPCB Archives

Comments:
Squared-Timber Lattice truss. This bridge replaced an open wooden structure built in 1802. Originally built as a toll bridge, the toll was removed in 1894. In 1898 a strong wind ripped off part of the roof. A sidewalk was added in 1925. It was weakened by the 1927 flood, but remained in service. During the 1936 flood it was further weakened to the point that it had to be replaced two years later.

Sources:
Conwill, Joseph D.. Images of America - Vermont Covered Bridges, 2004, page 77
Connecticut River Valley Covered Bridge Society. Bulletin, Volume X, No. 2, Fall 1963, page 4

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