Comstock's Bridge, also known as the Comstock Covered Bridge, is a
covered bridge
A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...
located in
East Hampton,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
, spanning the
Salmon River, Built in 1840, it is one of only three historical covered bridges in the state. It is open to pedestrian traffic in a small park off Comstock Bridge Road. The bridge was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
on January 1, 1976.
[
]
Description and history
Comstock's Bridge is located in southeastern East Hampton, near the junction of Comstock Bridge Road and Colchester Avenue (Connecticut Route 16
Route 16 is a primary state route connecting Middletown and Colchester via Route 66. It begins in East Hampton at Route 66 then has an interchange with Route 2 in Colchester. It then runs through Colchester center, then goes ...
). The bridge consists of two spans: its main span is a Howe truss
A Howe truss is a truss bridge consisting of chords, verticals, and diagonals whose vertical members are in tension and whose diagonal members are in compression. The Howe truss was invented by William Howe in 1840, and was widely used as a bridg ...
, long, with a roadbed wide. That span is covered by a gabled roof and sheathed in vertical board siding. Gates at either end of the bridge limit access to pedestrians. A secondary span, in length, connects the bridge to the eastern shore. This span is uncovered; its trusses are sheathed in vertical siding with peaked caps. The bridge abutments
An abutment is the substructure at the ends of a bridge span or dam supporting its superstructure. Single-span bridges have abutments at each end which provide vertical and lateral support for the span, as well as acting as retaining walls ...
are a combination of unmortared rubblestone and cut granite.Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...
crew, which replaced some bridge materials with parts in part recycled from old buildings, and added the gates at either end. It is now closed to traffic, and is accessible from a small public park.[ and ]
See also
*
* List of covered bridges in Connecticut
*
References
External links
Connecticut's Historic Highway BridgesComstock Bridge
{{National Register of Historic Places
Covered bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
Bridges completed in 1840
East Hampton, Connecticut
Bridges in Middlesex County, Connecticut
Tourist attractions in Middlesex County, Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Middlesex County, Connecticut
Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
Wooden bridges in Connecticut
Howe truss bridges in the United States