As you may or may not know by now, the Museum has been gifted a bridge. And not just any bridge. A B&M Howe Pony Covered Truss Bridge. By the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. This bridge has had it's trusses rebuilt, and comes with new cross timbers. We have been working with the NSPCB president Bill Caswell to iron out the details and help preserve this bridge as a historic structure.
There is some history that this bridge had. The Moose Brook Bridge on the Boston and Maine Berlin (NH) Branch. The line was abandoned in 1993 and turned rail-trail, then someone burnt the bridge in 2004. This is the reason for rebuilding. You can read about it more here, and what the original plan for the restored bridge was here..
http://bridgehunter.com/nh/coos/moose-brook/Note, some of the links on that page no longer work or are not active..
This bridge also comes with assembly paid for. Through a prearranged agreement between the National Park Service and a company called Barns & Bridges of New England.
We are responsible for any additional expenses. For example, we will be allowing Barns and Bridges to stay at the house during the assembly, and our volunteers will help with assembly to assist the contractor in timely completion. Also, any modifications that are made to the bridge, we assume the cost of that.
Current plans are for pressure treating of timbers this fall before assembly in Sheepscot. Assembly needs to take place before December 31, as this is the date the funding for assembly expires. This funding has already been extended several times, and asking for another extension may not be favorable.
This is the Snyder Brook Bridge. A sister to the Moose Brook Bridge we have been offered. It was removed from its abuttments about 4 years ago, the abuttments repaired and new siding installed and reset back into position. These images are from July 4th, 2017.
