tarboat's photos with the keyword: covered bridge

In 1850, Jacob Berry and Peter Paddleford built a covered bridge to replace a crudely framed log bridge that had collapsed at this site. This bridge stood until the Swift River covered bridge crashed into it in 1869. The Saco River covered bridge was rebuilt by Allen and Warren of Conway but it was destroyed again by a tannery fire in 1890. The current bridge was built by Charles Broughton and his son Frank. The design is Paddleford truss with added arches.

The first bridge over the Swift River on this site was constructed in 1857 and destroyed by a windstorm in 1858. It was replaced with this roofed structure in 1858 at a cost of $1,300 minus the amount previously paid for the original bridge. The bridge has wide shallow arches and sharply raked facades and the beams are in the form of Paddleford trusses. The U.S. Forest Service replaced the wooden floor timbers with steel in 1981-1982. It is 120ft long with a clear span of 100ft and has a weight restriction of 6 tons.