Whittier Bridge
No. 46
Built around 1870, the Whittier Covered Bridge spans the Bearcamp River in Ossipee. At 133 feet, it is the second-longest surviving single-span covered bridge using the Paddleford truss. The builder is unknown but believed to be either Jacob Berry or Charles Broughton. Named for poet John Greenleaf Whittier, who vacationed nearby in the 1870s, the bridge was severely damaged by the 1936 flood and repaired by state crews.
After deteriorating and closing to traffic in 1982, the Whittier Covered Bridge was restored by Milton and Arnold Graton and reopened in 1983. The bridge again fell into disrepair and was closed in 2006. In 2008, Stanley E. Graton of 3G Construction moved the bridge onto dry land for rehabilitation. A second phase of restoration by 3G Associates and DuBois & King was completed in 2016, followed by abutment repairs and the return of the bridge to its original location in 2022
by CPM Constructors.
Whittier Bridge Podcast Episode
The Poet John Greenleaf Whittier with Kaleigh Pare Shaughnessy
Kim talks with Kaleigh Paré Shaughnessy, Executive Director of the John Greenleaf Whittier Birthplace, about the namesake of the Whittier Bridge in Ossipee. Kaleigh tells us the story of how a young Massachusetts poet transitioned from a fierce abolitionist to one of America’s most beloved fireside poets, and how his name became attached to a New Hampshire covered bridge.
LCHIP Podcast Episode
The New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program with George Born
Kim speaks with George Born, Historic Resources Specialist with the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program. George explains how LCHIP supports the protection of significant historic and cultural sites across the state, including several of New Hampshire’s covered bridges.
Whittier Bridge Photo Album
