Gifford Covered Bridge
![Gifford Covered Bridge is located in Vermont](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/USA_Vermont_location_map.svg/250px-USA_Vermont_location_map.svg.png)
![Gifford Covered Bridge](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/7px-Red_pog.svg.png)
![Gifford Covered Bridge is located in the United States](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Usa_edcp_location_map.svg/250px-Usa_edcp_location_map.svg.png)
![Gifford Covered Bridge](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/7px-Red_pog.svg.png)
The Gifford Covered Bridge, also called the C.K. Smith Covered Bridge,[2] is a wooden covered bridge that crosses the Second Branch of the White River in Randolph, Vermont on Hyde Road. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[1] It is one of two bridges in the state that was uncovered when first built, its trusses boxed for shelter.
Description and history
The Gifford Covered Bridge is located in a rural setting on the far east side of Randolph. It is a short way east of Vermont Route 14, carrying Hyde Road across the Second Branch White River. It is a single-span King post truss structure, 51.5 feet (15.7 m) long, with a roadway width of 14.5 feet (4.4 m) (one lane) and a total width of 17 feet (5.2 m). It is set on concrete abutments, and is covered by an independent post-and-beam structure. The portal ends of the structure extend beyond the trusses, and it is covered by a metal roof, with vertical board siding.[3]
The bridge's construction date and builder are not known. It is one of only two covered bridges in Vermont (the other being the nearby Braley Covered Bridge) in which the king-post truss reaches only half the height of the bridge. The reason for this is that the bridge was most likely built uncovered, its trusses covered by planking to protect them from the elements. It was later covered (c. 1904) by the existing post-and-beam structure.[3]
Circa 1955 the bridge deck was reinforced with steel I-beams above the roadway which are in turn tied to I-beams below, a relatively unusual way of strengthening a covered bridge. In 2001, extensive repairs were made to the bridge, including raising it up from the river to help prevent flood waters from reaching the deck. Despite the repairs, a relatively low weight limit of 3 tons remains on the bridge. There is evidence that the weight limit is forcing heavy vehicles to ford the shallow river next to the bridge.[4]
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Orange County, Vermont
- List of Vermont covered bridges
- List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Vermont
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: C.K. Smith Covered Bridge
- ^ a b Hugh Henry (1974). "NRHP nomination for Gifford Covered Bridge". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-08-20. with photos from 1974
- ^ Evans, Benjamin and June. New England's Covered Bridges. University Press of New England, 2004. ISBN 1-58465-320-5
- v
- t
- e
Historic
Landmark
![Orange County map](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Map_of_Vermont_highlighting_Orange_County.svg/90px-Map_of_Vermont_highlighting_Orange_County.svg.png)
- Allis State Park
- Aloha Camp
- Aloha Hive Camp
- Bayley Historic District
- Bradford Village Historic District
- Brookfield Village Historic District
- Camp Billings
- Camp Wyoda
- Chelsea Village Historic District
- Depot Square Historic District
- Hayward and Kibby Mill
- Lanakila Camp
- Mari-Castle
- Asa May House
- Newbury Village Historic District
- Oxbow Historic District
- Randolph Center Historic District
- South Newbury Village Historic District
- Strafford Village Historic District
- Thetford Center Historic District
- Thetford Hill Historic District
- Thetford Hill State Park
- Tunbridge Village Historic District
- Wells River Village Historic District
- West Newbury Village Historic District
- Brock Hill Schoolhouse
- Central Vermont Railway Depot
- Chandler Music Hall and Bethany Parish House
- Elwin Chase House
- Congregational Church of Chelsea
- Ely Boston & Maine Railroad Depot
- Fairlee Railroad Depot
- Fairlee Town Hall
- Goshen Church
- Kimball Public Library
- Newbury Town House
- Marvin Newton House
- Peabody Library
- Post Mills Church
- South Tunbridge Methodist Episcopal Church
- Stratton's Inn
- Waits River Schoolhouse
- Wells River Graded School
- West Fairlee Center Church
- Harlie Whitcomb Farm
- Wildwood Hall
- Bedell Covered Bridge ‡
- Braley Covered Bridge
- Bridge 22
- Cilley Covered Bridge
- Flint Covered Bridge
- Foundry Bridge
- Gifford Covered Bridge
- Howe Covered Bridge
- Kingsbury Covered Bridge
- Larkin Covered Bridge
- Lyme–East Thetford Bridge ‡
- Mill Covered Bridge
- Morey Memorial Bridge ‡
- Moxley Covered Bridge
- Piermont Bridge ‡
- Thetford Center Covered Bridge
- Union Village Covered Bridge