Lincoln Covered Bridge, Woodstock Vermont
- Categories:
- Vermont
- Covered Bridges
- Pratt Truss
According to covered bridge authority Richard S. Allen, the Lincoln Covered Bridge is structurally unique in the country. Built with arch trusses after the Pratt system, the bridge is the only known wooden example of a structural system that later became widespread for steel highway and railroad bridges Two residents of the area, R. W. Pinney of Bridgewater and B. H. Pinney of Woodstock, built the Lincoln bridge in 1877, thirty-three years after Pratt (the inventor of the system) received his patent.
The covered bridges of Vermont are among its 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 Lincoln Covered Bridge consists of a single span supported by two flanking arch trusses modified from the Pratt design. The arches are made of six laminated layers of planks; they support the deck using enclosed wood uprights, iron suspension rods, and iron cross braces. 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. Four guy cables have been strung from the river banks to the west side of the bridge to give lateral support to its superstructure. The north end of the bridge rests on a concrete abutment while the south end remains on its original abutment of stone slabs.
The Lincoln bridge is 136 feet long on the floor, with a gable overhang of about two feet at each end. The bridge is 18.5 feet wide, with a 14-foot roadway.
A shed of post-and-beam construction covers the bridge structure. It is sheathed with boards and battens which are hung vertically. There are no windows or openings in the side walls. The gable ends taper gradually two feet outward from the floor, and are sheathed with flush vertical boards. The roof of the bridge is covered with standing seam metal sheeting.
Looking northeast (1973)
Interior looking south (1973)
