Second New Hampshire Turnpike Bridge in 1936
Sawyer Bridge in 2011
Carr Bridge in 1936
Gleason Falls Bridge in 1936
Gleason Falls Road Bridge in 2016

Five Stone Arch Bridges is a cluster of stone arch bridges in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, United States that have been designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers.[1]

History

The stone arch bridges were built during the 19th century, when there was a need for sturdier construction to replace weaker wooden bridges. The design required exceptional skill by stonecutters. Each stone had to fit just right. At one time there were twelve stone arch bridges in Hillsborough.[2] The designation of the five remaining structures as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 2002 had much to do with their close proximity to one another.

Fred Rhyner, a member of the ASCE New Hampshire Section and a vice president at Haley & Aldrich Engineering in Manchester, filed the nomination application for the historic landmark. His interest in the remarkable cluster of stone arch bridges began while he was working on a New Hampshire DOT bridge project on the Second New Hampshire Turnpike in 1996. It took three years to gather all the information together. The application was filed in 1999.

The Hillsborough town website states that the arch bridge near U.S. Route 202 (Sawyer Bridge) "is going to become the focal point of a public park,"[3] although it is unclear if there are active plans to do this. Selectman Robert Buker described the park surrounding the stone arch bridge at Route 202 as an attempt to balance commercial growth on the west end of town with historic preservation. A New Hampshire historical marker and an ASCE landmark plaque for the stone arch bridges are both located near Sawyer Bridge.[4]

Bridges

Name Coordinates Built Crosses
Carr Bridge 43°7′49″N 71°56′41″W / 43.13028°N 71.94472°W / 43.13028; -71.94472 (Carr Bridge) mid-1800s Beards Brook
Gleason Falls Bridge 43°8′37″N 71°57′21″W / 43.14361°N 71.95583°W / 43.14361; -71.95583 (Gleason Falls Bridge) ca. 1830 Beards Brook
Gleason Falls Road over Beards Brook 43°8′42″N 71°57′34″W / 43.14500°N 71.95944°W / 43.14500; -71.95944 (Gleason Falls Road over Beards Brook) mid-1800s Beards Brook
Second New Hampshire Turnpike Bridge
Bridge at Fuller's Tannery		 43°6′41″N 71°56′35″W / 43.11139°N 71.94306°W / 43.11139; -71.94306 (Second New Hampshire Turnpike Bridge) ca. 1864 North Branch River
Sawyer Bridge 43°6′41″N 71°55′08″W / 43.11139°N 71.91889°W / 43.11139; -71.91889 (Sawyer Bridge) ca. 1866 Contoocook River

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Hillsborough's Stone Arch Bridges | Living History Event - Historic Hillsborough, NH". livinghistoryeventnh.com. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  2. ↑ Garvin, James L. (February 23, 2002). "Notes on the Origins of Arched Stone Bridges in the Contoocook River Valley of New Hampshire" (PDF). New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  3. ↑ "About Hillsborough". hillsborough.nh.us. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Stone Arch Bridges Historical Marker". The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
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