Wednesday, October 20, 2021

More Unexpected Fun in Eastern New York

August 11, 2021                                                              Most Recent Posts:
Camping on the Battenkill                                Wandering Around Vermont
Arlington, Vermont                                         The Trail to Lake Paran Take Two


It has been unusually hot here in Vermont.  I know it is August but I wasn’t expecting 88 degrees here.  It felt like 98.

I’ve been looking for a shuttle to enable me to kayak the Battenkill River since I arrived and found that I cannot put in here at the campground as I was hoping.  The river is too low here.


I found a place called Vermont River Runners but not much information on them other than an address which said they were not too far from here down route 313 which runs along the Battenkill River into New York.   On my way there, I drove by the Arlington Covered Bridge near the former home of Norman Rockwell that I talked about earlier.  It has a put in but the problem is how to get back.


Eaglesville Covered Bridge

IMG_20210811_140929693When I entered New York I finally gave up on finding the River Runners. I knew there were four covered bridges in New York relatively near by and, though I struggled with an intermittent phone signal for google maps, I was able to locate two of them. 

 

IMG_20210811_140946005_HDRThe Eagleville Covered Bridge was great! Though it was a Wednesday, lots of people were jumping into the river from the bridge’s pilings and a rope swing.  I assume these were local folks who know all about this.

The Eaglesville Bridge was built by Ephraim W. Clapp in 1858 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in March of 1978.  It is a single span Towne Truss design  of 100 feet over the Battenkill River.  It is owned and maintained by the county


Eagleville bridge
In March of 1977, just prior to its registry, high water on the Battenkill undermined the east abutment dropping the bridge into the river.  Somehow a county bridge crew diverted the river and saved the bridge.  Apparently it took quite a twist when it went down but Towne Lattice Trust proved to be flexible and resilient.  It was repaired and over the years has been resided, reroofed and repainted a number of times.  The last rehabilitation was 2006-2007.  Hats off to the county for such dedication.


On both sides of the bridge kids were having a grand time as you can see.

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What great memories they are making.  Wish I’d had something like this for hot summer days.  Did you?

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IMG_20210811_143755397Despite my internet mapping troubles, I managed to find a second bridge only 2.2 miles away but it was “closed”.  It is owned not by the county but by the town of Shushan where it is located right next to the regular bridge which replaced it.  It is not in nearly as good repair as the Eaglesville owned by the county.   The sign on the bridge made me laugh.  I assume that was original sign and the original spelling from 1858.  It is now a museum of farm tools donated by the town’s people.  From these pictures it is difficult to tell how long it is.



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On the left side of the bridge it says Hours 1-4 Season.  I later read it is not open on Monday but I was here on a Wednesday during those hours and it was closed up tight.  You’d think August would be the season.  I really would like to have gone inside given its length.

sign



                      The 2012 picture below was borrowed from nycoveredbridges.org and shows the length.  It really is LONG.

Shushan bridge


The bridge was originally built by Milton & James Stevens also in  1858.  It too was listed on the National Historic Register in 1978.  It also crosses the Battenkill and is a 161 foot long two span structure of the Towne Lattice Truss design.





Across from the bridge was Salem District # 6 School house now a also a museum, also closed.


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I thought since I’d fallen unintentionally into visiting New York area covered bridges I would go on and see the other two here in Washington County but my internet/mapping wouldn’t cooperate.  I had their names but no directions.  I later learned that they were  4 miles and 12 miles away from Shushan.   There are a total of 5 covered bridges within 24 miles west of the campground and 4 others south near Bennington.  Truly a great area for covered bridges.   Today I’d inadvertently gone by 3 of them and was sorry to have to turn back without seeing the other two.

Another example of an unexpected afternoon excursion in Vermont.

22 comments:

  1. I love the bridges and it does look like fun swimming there. I went to the community swimming pool almost every day of the week, then boating on the IL River on weekends with swimming and water skiing. Nice that the community takes care of this historic landmark.

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    1. I just wonder how cold the water in that river must be. I only had a swimming pool at the employees park for NCR where my father worked and it was clear across town sadly. Maybe that's why I love water so much. I didn't have enough early in life.

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  2. Nice Bridges that you visited. I will have to look up the ones Jeanne took me to visit

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    1. There are just SO many bridges in Vermont/New Hampshire/New York.
      I was in NE Vermont I could go into New Hampshire and now in SW Vermont where I can go into New York. It's wonderful.

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  3. The water looks like such fun and that sign over the "closed" bridge is funny. Too bad it wasn't open! Lovely bridges. Wish you could've seen all the ones you hoped to see.

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    1. Everybody was definitely having a great time at the 1st bridge. I've seen a lot of covered bridges this summer. So I wasn't too upset that I couldn't see them except for the reason.

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  4. I'm amazed at how many covered bridges there are in New England. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Covered bridges seem to be really popular all over the country. There are still a lot I didn't see in Vermont.

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  5. There are a couple of them in my area that I know of, both on the Quebec side of the border. I think there's only one in Ontario.

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    1. After as many bridges as I've seen in one state in the US it surprises me there is only 1 in Ontario.

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  6. Looks like a great swimming spot. That One bridge is really long. Too bad it was closed.

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    1. You and I could have a great time at that swimming spot Lynne.

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  7. You found some lovely places to visit. I think it was hot and humid everywhere in the east during August.

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    1. Actually I was really glad to be in Vermont during the summer since there were only a few hot and humid days compared to everywhere else.

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  8. I'm amazed at all the covered bridges you've uncovered. :cD

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    1. Don't think I really discovered them Paul but it was fun mapping them out to visit and learning about them.

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  10. Hard to believe they were able to restore the bridge washed off it's abutment. We had 5 or 10 covered bridges near Frederick and had a map showing how to get to them all. It's an enjoyable way to spend a day.

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    1. Wow Roger I had no idea you had 10 covered bridges near Frederick. Wish I had had you give me a tour.

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  11. We saw a covered bridge in NC and I thought of you. :-) We didn't have covered bridges for jumping into swimming holes in Florida, but I spent plenty of hot summer days as a kid swimming in Florida springs!

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  12. Boy what a wonderful childhood to be able to swim in the Florida Springs. You lucky thing.

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  13. Like Roger, I am surprised that they were able to repair that bridge and make it safe. The water does look inviting but the river seems to shallow to jump into. I like the red barn color of the bridge. xxxooo

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