Worrall Covered Bridge, Rockingham Vermont
At one time seventeen covered highway and railroad bridges stood in the town of Rockingham. The Worrall Covered Bridge is one of three original to the town that survive. All three are the work of Sanford Granger, the most prominent bridge builder in northern Windham County, and date from the period 1867-1871.
Vermont's covered bridges are among the state's most cherished and symbolic historic resources. About one hundred bridges still stand in the state, the greatest concentration by area of covered bridges in the country.
Bridge Description
The Worrall Covered Bridge consists of a single span supported by two flanking timber Town lattice trusses. Two laminated stringers have been added to the underside of the floor parallel to the trusses for reinforcement. Each laminated stringer consists of short timbers tie-bolted together. Cable sway braces have been strung diagonally under the floor to provide additional lateral support.
A 19-foot span of steel beams carries the road across a floodway to the north end of the covered bridge, which rests on the original abutment of stonework now faced with concrete. To lessen the danger of washout, the bank behind that abutment has been partly excavated, leaving it nearly free-standing.
The southern end of the bridge rests on the original abutment of stone slabs without mortar. The covered bridge is 82 feet long on its floor, with gable overhangs of 5 feet at both ends. The bridge is 17 feet wide, with a 14-foot roadway.
On the exterior, the large planks pegged together diagonally to form the trusses (and side walls) of the bridge are sheathed with flush boards hung vertically. Similar siding protects the ends of the trusses immediately inside the portals. There is a rectangular opening in the siding near the southwest corner to provide better visibility for on-coming traffic. The gable overhangs at both ends of the bridge are also sheathed with flush vertical boards. The roof of the bridge is covered with corrugated metal sheeting.
