Blair Bridge, Campton, NH
Posted by: 
silverquill
N 43° 48.617 W 071° 40.001
19T E 285517 N 4854258
Hiram W. Merrill (1822-1898) of Plymouth, N. H., built this bridge in 1870 to replace a span of 1829 that had been burned by an arsonist. The bridge employs a truss design patented by Col. Stephen Harriman Long (1784-1864) of Hopkinton, N. H. It is New Hampshire’s only surviving example of Long’s patent to retain wedges at the lower chords by which the trusses were pre-stressed during construction, stiffening the bridge against the weight of traffic. Covered bridge expert Milton S. Graton (1908-
Waymark Code: WMCME
Location: New Hampshire, United States
Date Posted: 05/14/2006
Views: 27
The first bridge at this location was built in 1829 at a cost of $1,000. That bridge was burned down by a man named Lem Parker who claimed that God told him to do it. Parker was taken to court and confessed to the charges. However, he was found not guilty because there were no witnesses.
The construction of the current bridge was brought about when a doctor trying to ford the river on horseback found the current too strong. The horse drowned, but the doctor was saved. The town voted to build a bridge immediately. A sign was posted on the bridge indicating there was a fine of five dollars for riding or driving on the bridge faster than five miles per hour. It was rebuilt by Milton Graton and his son Arnold in 1977 at a cost of $59,379. The town of Campton and the state shared the cost of the repair.
The Blair Bridge is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Style of Bridge:
Long truss with arches
Structural Characteristics:
The bridge is 292'10" consisting of two clear spans of 139'3" and 131'0". It has an overall width of 20'2", and a maximum vertical clearance of 13'3". The bridge is posted for three tons.
World Guide Number: 29-05-09
New Hampshire Number: 41
New Hampshire Historic Marker Number: 196
