The Bowers Covered Bridge ''(aka'' Brownsville Bridge) is a historic

covered bridge A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...

, carrying Bible Hill Road across Mill Brook in the Brownsville section of West Windsor, Vermont. Built in 1919, it has a laminated-arch deck covered by a post-and-beam superstructure, similar to Best's Covered Bridge, Windsor's other historic covered bridge. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1973. It was rebuilt after being swept off its foundation in 2011 by

Hurricane Irene Hurricane Irene was a large and destructive tropical cyclone which affected much of the Caribbean and East Coast of the United States during late August 2011. The ninth tropical cyclone naming, named storm, first hurricane, and first major ...

, but has been damaged by vehicle strikes several times since then, and is being considered for closure.

Description and history

The Bowers Covered Bridge is located in southern West Windsor, carrying Bible Hill Road across Mill Brook between Vermont Route 44 and Harrington and Westgate Roads. The bridge is long and wide, with a roadway width of (one lane). The bridge is a single span laminated arch structure resting on unmortared stone

abutments An abutment is the Bridge#Structure types, substructure at the ends of a bridge Span (architecture), span or dam supporting its Bridge#Structure types, superstructure. Single-span bridges have abutments at each end that provide vertical and l ...

, and covered by a post-and-beam shed. Its sides are finished in vertical board siding, and its roof is corrugated metal. Wooden floor stringers are supported by iron rods and wooden posts attached to the arches. The bridge was built in 1919. It is one of two bridges in the town, and only one of three known in the state to use this type of laminated arch construction. The bridge was swept off its abutments by

2011, but rebuilt and reopened in 2012. It has since been struck several times by larger vehicles, resulting in structural damage. As of April 2016, the town is considering closing the bridge to traffic. File:BowersBridgeDamage.jpg, Damaged bridge on the riverbank after

in 2011 File:Brownsville VT Bowers Bridge.jpg, Bowers Covered Bridge looking north in May 2019 File:Brownsville VT Bowers Bridge Detail.jpg, Bowers Covered Bridge showing construction details

References

{{NRHP in Windsor County, Vermont Covered bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Vermont National Register of Historic Places in Windsor County, Vermont Buildings and structures in West Windsor, Vermont Covered bridges in Windsor County, Vermont Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Vermont Wooden bridges in Vermont 1919 establishments in Vermont Bridges completed in 1919

Description and history

See also

References