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Lancaster

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Mechanic Street Bridge, Spanning Israel River, Lancaster, Coos County, NH



B&W Photos


Data Pages


Photo Caption Pages


Item Title


Location
Spanning Israel River, Lancaster, NH

Find maps of Lancaster, NH


Created/Published
Documentation compiled after 1968.

Notes
Survey number HAER NH-45
Building/structure dates: 1862 initial construction
Building/structure dates: 1967 subsequent work
Building/structure dates: 2004 subsequent work
Significance: The Mechanic Street Bridge is an excellent example of the bridge truss developed in the 1840s by Peter Paddleford of Littleton, New Hampshire. The design features a multiple kingpost truss with long counterbraces that helped to distribute loads throughout the truss. Though never patented, the Paddleford truss dominated covered bridge construction in northern New England for over half a century.

Subjects
Covered Bridges
Transportation


Related Names
Paddleford, Peter
Bennett, Lola, Historian
Lowe, Jet, Photographer


Collection
Historic American Engineering Record (Library of Congress)

Contents
Photograph caption(s): 
PERSPECTIVE NORTHEAST. NOTE TYPICAL NEW HAMPSHIRE COVERED BRIDGE HOUSING, WITH UPPER PORTION OF TRUSSES LEFT EXPOSED AND VERTICAL PLANK SIDING COVERING THE LOWER PORTION.
OBLIQUE ELEVATION, WEST PORTAL.
ELEVATION, WEST PORTAL.
EAST PORTAL, LOOKING WEST.
EAST PORTAL, SHOWING INTERIOR TRUSSWORK.
INTERIOR, EAST PORTAL.
VIEW NORTHEAST JUST WEST OF CENTER OF TRUSS
WOOD JOINERY, ONE PANEL EAST OF CENTER OF THE BRIDGE. NOTE CORRUGATED METAL ROOF.
DETAIL, TOP CHORD.
ABUTMENT AND UNDERSIDE.
BELOW ROADWAY DETAIL.
ELEVATION FROM DOWNSTREAM, LOOKING SOUTH.
UPSTREAM ELEVATION, LOOKING NORTH.


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