West Cornwall Covered Bridge
by Joan Carroll
Title
West Cornwall Covered Bridge
Artist
Joan Carroll
Medium
Photograph - Digital Photograph
Description
Sundown comes early in Connecticut in November and the threatening rain clouds didn't help the appeal of the afternoon. Nevertheless, I was on the hunt for Connecticut's historic covered bridges and I would not be deterred! After earlier seeing a fake covered bridge set down in a park I was ready for the authenticity of the West Cornwall Covered Bridge in West Cornwall (Litchfield County), CT. The bridge is either 172' or 242' long depending on the website that you read! It is still in use, carrying vehicular traffic over the Housatonic River on Connecticut Route 128. Only one lane of traffic is possible so you have to stop, look, and listen before you venture across in your car. It is listed on the National Register of Historic places and has been a symbol of the area's rural heritage for almost 150 years. From http://connecticuthistory.org/west-cornwall-covered-bridge-an-icon-of-new-england-craftsmanship/ is the following: "Attempts to build bridges at the site go back as far as 1762, but local ice storms and floods, like the Flood of 1837, claimed these early attempts at crossing the Housatonic. Research has shown that the current structure was most likely built in 1864. It is made of sturdy red spruce, a wood stronger than oak, and held together using treenails, wooden pegs that are wedged into place. It is a lattice truss design, known in the 1800s for providing light-weight yet efficient and durable load-bearing capacity. Despite the bridge's sturdy construction, there have been numerous challenges to maintaining its integrity. In addition to surviving weather-related threats, the bridge has had to sustain increasingly heavier vehicle traffic. Due in part to safety concerns, the bridge was closed to pedestrian traffic in the 1920s. In 1945, a 20-ton oil truck fell through the bridge floor. In fact, the demands on the bridge had changed so much since its original construction that, by 1968, the State of Connecticut considered replacing the then 100-year-old structure. Responding to this threat, a local group committed to saving the bridge stepped in and convinced the state to make renovations to it instead. In 1973 the Connecticut Department of Transportation inserted a steel support deck that not only saved the bridge but also won the effort an award from the Federal Highway Administration as an outstanding example of historic preservation."
FEATURED PHOTO, Atlantic Coast of the USA Places group, 12/8/15
FEATURED PHOTO, Landscape and Landmark Photography group, 11/20/14
FEATURED PHOTO, 3 a day AAA Images group, 11/19/14
FEATURED PHOTO, Images that Excite You, 11/19/14
FEATURED PHOTO, The Road to Self Promotion group, 11/19/14
FEATURED PHOTO, 3 a day AAA Images group, 11/19/14
FEATURED PHOTO, The World We See group, 11/19/14
Uploaded
November 19th, 2014
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Viewed 6,943 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 03/27/2024 at 6:25 AM
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Comments (109)
Michel Verhoef
Great low angle shot !! Seeing a covered bridge I always need to think of Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood !! I wonder why ?? :-)
James Aiken
Congratulations! Your outstanding artwork has been chosen as a FEATURE in the “Atlantic Coast of the USA Places” group on Fine Art America.