WHITTIER BRIDGE Ossipee, New Hampshire Location: West of N.H. Route 16 at West Ossipee Village on old N.H. Route 125 over the Bearcamp River. Style of Bridge: Paddleford truss with added arches Year of Construction: 1870s Original Cost: Unknown Structural Characteristics: The bridge is 1327 long with a clear span of 1140. It has an overall width of 206 with a roadway width of 1410, and has a maximum vertical clearance of 126. The bridge is closed to vehicular traffic. Maintained By: Town of Ossipee Historical Remarks: Town records indicate there was a crude open timber bridge at this site in 1791 which was repaired in 1803, 1811, and again in 1820. A new bridge was built in 1820 by Wentworth Lord at a cost of $133. The builders of the 1820 bridge used sound lumber from the old bridge. It was again rebuilt in 1832. In 1849, John Brown built a new bridge at the same location for $234. Most sources credit the construction of the current bridge, built during the 1870s, to Jacob Berry. Steel telltales were erected in 1958 to protect the upper bracing of the bridge and removed in 1983 after the restoration. The restoration began in November 1982 by Milton Graton and Sons and was completed in August 1983 at a cost of $85,000. The sides of the Whittier Bridge were originally closed with the exception of tiny windows. The sides were opened as part of the restoration. Much of the money for the restoration came from summer resident Gordon Pope and the remainder from the state. The bridge was dedicated on August 19, 1983 by family, friends, and the State of New Hampshire in memory of Nancy Sheldon Pope. The bridge was closed to vehicular traffic on March 15, 1989. The Whittier Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 23:43:22 +0000