details

Documenting North America's past & present covered bridges

Home

Westford or Brown's River, Chittenden 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/45-04-05
County: Chittenden County
Township: Westford
Town/Village:
Bridge Name: Westford or Brown's River
Crosses: Brown's River
Truss type: Burr
Spans: 1
Length: 97'
Roadway Width:
Built: 1837
Builder:
When Lost: standing
Cause:
Latitude: N44 36.749
Longitude: W073 00.486
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: 260 feet east of VT128 on north side of bypassed section of Cambridge Rd.

Westford or Brown's River Bridge, Westford, Chittenden County, VT Built 1837
Bill Caswell Photo (1987)

Westford or Brown's River Bridge, Westford, Chittenden County, VT Built 1837
Bob Sheldon Photo, September 4, 2011

Westford or Brown's River Bridge, Westford, Chittenden County, VT Built 1837
Todd Clark Collection

Westford or Brown's River Bridge, Westford, Chittenden County, VT Built 1837
Bill Caswell Photo, September 29, 2013

Westford or Brown's River Bridge, Westford, Chittenden County, VT Built 1837
Todd Clark Collection

Comments:
12-panel truss. When originally built, its cost was not to exceed $600.00. The bridge is noted for its very large hand-hewed timbers. It was bypassed by a concrete and steel bridge and closed to motor vehicle traffic in 1965. It was repaired in 1976 by the Vermont Naval Reserve (Seabees) and the townspeople. The bridge was closed to all traffic, including foot traffic, in 1987 when it was feared the structure would collapse. In October, 1987, it was raised on timber cribbing, false work was built beneath it, and a team of oxen pulled the bridge off the river on log rollers to an open field next to the town garage. The event was of such importance that the National Geographic Society filmed the entire operation. A campaign was started to raise funds to restore the bridge. With additional funding raised, the bridge was rebuilt and restored to its original location on a bypassed section of Cambridge Road on July 20, 2001 with final restoration work completed on July 30, 2001. The restoration included pouring concrete caps on its abutments, replacing the concrete facing on the east northeast abutment, replacing the upper chord on the upstream side due to powder post beetle infestation, part of the upper chord on the downstream side, seven truss tension members, some roof boards, the rafter cross braces, one roof crossbeam and the installation of a steel roof. In addition, a few downstream siding boards, and the portal siding were replaced. The total cost of the project from October 1987 through July 30, 2001 was $220,000.00.

Sources:
Conwill, Joseph D.. Images of America - Vermont Covered Bridges, 2004, page 45
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 140