McDermott Bridge

No. 18

Built in 1869 by Albert S. Granger for a reported $450, the McDermott Covered Bridge spans the Cold River in Langdon. Also known locally as the Cold River Bridge, it is the fourth bridge at this location and is a Town lattice truss. The bridge was bypassed by a new concrete bridge in 1964 and then stood largely unattended for more than three decades.

In 1995, the Langdon Covered Bridge Association began a grassroots fundraising campaign to restore the town’s two covered bridges. Daniels Construction, Inc. began work on the McDermott Bridge in 2005, installing temporary steel shoring and raising the bridge above its abutments. Just months later, the October 2005 flash flood swept through the area, but the elevated bridge survived. Restoration continued through 2007, including repairs to the bottom chords and lattice, straightening the structure, and replacing the siding. The $131,257 project was completed in 2008.