Fairfax Covered Bridge, Fairfax Vermont

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The covered bridge at Fairfax Village which carries Maple Street across Mill Brook is the only covered wood bridge remaining in the town of Fairfax. The bridge is one of the widest covered bridges in Vermont, undoubtedly having been built to accommodate the two-way traffic of the village street. The Fairfax Bridge constitutes a distinctive element of an attractive historic village environment.

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 United States.

Bridge Description

The Fairfax Covered Bridge consists of a single span supported by two flanking timber Town lattice trusses. Iron tie rods connect the top chords to provide lateral reinforcement. In spite of this, the superstructure has developed a marked lean toward the west.

The structure rests on abutments built originally of irregular stone laid dry. The north abutment has been partly faced with concrete; the south abutment has been either completely faced or rebuilt with concrete.

The Fairfax Bridge is 56.5 feet long overall and 20.5 feet wide; it has a 17.5-foot roadway. The wood floor consists of planks laid flat and perpendicular to the trusses, overlaid transversal with two strips of planks for driving surfaces.

On the exterior, the heavy planks pegged together diagonally to form the trusses (and side walls) of the bridge are sheathed with unpainted flush boards hung vertically. The siding stops short of the eaves to leave strip openings along the tops of the walls.

The gable ends are also sheathed with unpainted flush boards hung vertically. The portal openings have diagonal upper corners, that cover the first interior struts. The medium-pitch gable roof, which does not overhang the gable ends, is covered with corrugated metal sheeting.

(1974)