Swift River Bridge

No. 47

Built around 1870 by Jacob E. Berry and his son Jacob H. Berry, the Swift River Covered Bridge spans the Swift River in Conway. The 1869 flood swept an earlier bridge downstream into the Saco River Bridge, destroying both structures. The replacement was built using salvaged timber and completed in 1870 at a total cost of $1,458.42.

After decades of deterioration, the bridge was bypassed by a new steel and concrete bridge in 1974 and closed to vehicular traffic. In 1990, the Conway Historical Society led a successful fundraising effort to save the deteriorated bridge. Bobcat Welding raised the bridge, rebuilt the foundations, installed a new roof, and repainted the structure. The bridge was rededicated in June 1991.