Coburn Covered Bridge, East Montpelier Vermont
- Categories:
- Vermont
- Covered Bridges
- Queenpost Truss
The Coburn Covered Bridge is the only covered wood bridge to survive in the town of East Montpelier. Although the timber deck structure has been replaced with steel beams and concrete, the wood trusses and superstructure of the bridge are intact and have been recently restored to excellent condition.
The covered bridges of Vermont are among its most cherished and symbolic historic resources. About one hundred of the bridges still stand in the state, the highest concentration by area of covered bridges in the country.
Bridge Description
The Coburn Covered Bridge consists of a single span supported originally by two flanking timber queenpost trusses. The trusses incorporate iron suspension rods that extend from the upper apexes of the diagonal braces to the bottom chords.
In 1973 the bridge received extensive repairs. The wood deck structure was replaced with three steel beams carrying a reinforced concrete floor. Brackets extend from the beams to provide support for the bottom chords of the trusses, which now carry only the superstructure of the bridge.
The Coburn Bridge is 69.5 feet long and 16.5 feet wide. Its roadway is 13.5 feet wide. The bridge rests on abutments that have been either faced or rebuilt with concrete.
On the exterior, the heavy timbers pegged and bolted together to form the trusses (and side walls) of the bridge are sheathed with unpainted flush boards hung vertically. Similar siding protects the ends of the trusses immediately inside the portals. The siding reaches about seven feet from the floor, leaving the upper walls open.
The gable ends are also sheathed with unpainted flush boards hung vertically. The portal openings are framed with semi-elliptical arches. The siding curves outward from the portal openings to form half-arches under the eaves. The medium-pitch gable roof is covered with standing seam metal sheeting.
South elevation and west portal (1974)
