Corbin Bridge
No. 17
Built in 1843-1844 under the direction of Anson Warren, the Corbin Bridge spans the Sugar River in Newport. Named for the Corbin family, the bridge was destroyed by a suspicious fire on May 25, 1993. A group of local “bridge people,” known as MGM, joined with the Newport Historical Society to advocate for rebuilding a replica while retaining local ownership.
Master bridgewright Arnold M. Graton and engineer David C. Fischetti designed and constructed the replacement, with an aggressive grassroots fundraising campaign raising the additional funds needed for the project. In October 1994, the 100-ton bridge was pulled across the river by oxen during a three-day nineteenth-century-style celebration attended by nearly 9,000 people. Construction was completed in January 1995, and the bridge received a New Hampshire Preservation Alliance Preservation Achievement Award.
The 102-foot, single-span bridge is maintained by the Town of Newport.
Corbin Bridge Video
Arnold M. Graton Podcast Episode
The Master Bridgewright Arnold M. Graton
Kim talks with master bridgewright Arnold M. Graton of Holderness about his long career preserving and restoring historic structures, most notably, covered bridges. Arnold shares his experiences utilizing nineteenth-century construction to both restore, and build, new covered bridges, not only in New Hampshire but across the country. This is a rare interview with a true master whose impact on the New Hampshire covered bridge community is without precedence.
Corbin Bridge Photo Album
