Course – Covered Bridges in the Conway Area – Past & Present

New Hampshire was once home to over 300 covered bridges. Built before the idea of an automobile was even conceived, many of these covered bridges could not handle the increased traffic and were replaced with modern steel or concrete structures. Many were neglected and eventually lost to the rot and decay of time. Many more were destroyed by the vandals’ hands. But by the mid-twentieth century, a movement began toward not only preserving these historic structures but employing nineteenth-century craftsmanship to do so.

Today, there are over sixty authentic covered bridges in New Hampshire, forty-six of which are over a century old. These bridges exist today solely because of the efforts of a small but powerful community that both recognized their significance and honored their tradition. These covered bridges are an integral part of the fabric of New Hampshire’s history, but each bridge has its own story to tell.

This program will share the rich histories of the existing covered bridges in the greater Conway Area (Saco River, Swift River, Stoney Morrell, Bartlett, Jackson, and Albany Bridges) as well as information about the many covered bridges that have been lost to time.

This course is offered through OLLI at UNH. Stay tuned for registration details.