Ellen picked me up on Sunday afternoon around 3pm . We had a set of directions to two bridges and not much else. At this point we did not even have a set of rules for the challenge. We figured that on the first day we could cross off two bridges from our list-- the Rowell bridge in Hopkinton and the Railroad Bridge in Hopkinton.
Our plan was to head to the Rowell Bridge first. Our directions told us to take a right off the exit (sooo wrong) and instead of ending up at the Rowell Bridge, we ended up at the Railroad. At first we thought it was a building and turned in the opposite direction, but then when we turned around, we saw that it was in fact our first bridge!
The Railroad (#10)
Here is an excerpt from the map: We saw how close the Henniker was and decided to knock that one off the list too.
I went a little crazy with the pictures of the first bridge. One of the pictures is the background for the blog.
Built in 1889
This bridge has a double Town-Pratt lattice truss. By the end of the summer, I will know what that means.
Spans the Contoocook River
Last shot of the Railroad (#10). I promise.
After we found the Railroad, we were determined to find the Rowell. I am glad we started with the Railroad- it had a historical marker and a map. Plus it was the easiest bridge to photograph for several reasons. A good first bridge for any Southern NH bridge aficionado.
The Rowell (#9)
As we approached the Rowell, a man jumped out of his truck, snapped a photo, and yelled to us, "I was here first!" This adds a new element to the challenge. I guess some people take an Amazing Race attitude towards bridge hunting. He did get there first and drove away quite quickly. He didn't even walk across the bridge!
You have to walk across the bridge (as long as it is allowed).
Ellen and I took some time to play in the bridge...children should not attempt this unsupervised as the Rowell is a bridge that still allows car traffic.
This was a much shorter bridge. It cost $300.25 to construct in 1853. With prices like this, maybe we could have our own covered bridge at the Farm!
This is my artistic shot (according to Ellen). I also predicted at this bridge that my mother would do a painting of a covered bridge by the end of the summer. I will attempt to take "artistic shots" with "good composition". Perhaps she will select one.
The Bement
We decided to go to the Henniker (#63). So of course we ended up at the Bement (#14) in Bradford.
This bridge was easy to find... It was much more expensive than the Rowell. It cost $500 in 1854.
It is a great example of a long truss (I think).
Ellen loves bridge hunting.
It is times like this that I wish I had Instagram. Did you know that you need an iPhone for that? Too bad.
-Natalie
