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P O R T E R - P A R S O N S F I E L D
H I S T O R I C A L B R I D G E
Porter, MaineWednesday, October 13, 2004
Sight: #20
Location: Porter, Maine
- From town center, drive 0.2 miles west on Route-25.
- Turn left on Route-160, head due west for 0.3 miles.
- Covered bridge located due east of steel/concrete bridge that crosses the Ossipee River.
Hours: Open year-round, closed to traffic in 1960.
Admission: Free!
Link: Maine DOT Website
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Once 120 strong, only 9 historic covered bridges now remain in the state of Maine. Fire, flood, ice, decay, and progress, all have contributed to this staggering casualty rate. Realizing that something had to be done quickly to halt further fatalities, the remaining historical river-crossing treasures were rescued in 1959 when the 99th Maine legislature passed legislation to revitalize, preserve, and protect the last standing bridges.
One of the bridges targeted for preservation was the Porter-Parsonsfield Covered Bridge. Built in 1876, the bridge spans a 152 foot crossing of the Ossipee River and is located one half mile southwest of Porter, ME. The bridge's architecture utilizes a Paddleford (named after Mr. Paddleford who built covered bridges in New Hampshire) truss design and is used in conjunction with two sets of laminated wooden arches that were incorporated for additional support.
Closed to traffic in 1960, the bridge now parallels a modern steel and concrete bridge. Located just a few hundred yards upstream to the west, it is from this new bridge that I'll take many of my shots. From a distance it looks like the preservation group did a great job of whipping the bridge into tiptop shape. Interested in bridges of antiquity? If so, come along with me, let's walk the river span together.
Description & Pics
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