Bridges to the Past and the Future
At the West Newbury Summer Festival, we displayed artifacts and photos that captured the heartbreaking story of the Bedell Bridge – long used by farmers and travelers to move between Vermont and New Hampshire.
Re-opening the Bedell Bridge in 1979
Debris from the bridge, which was destroyed again less than 2 months later.
There have been five bridges on this site. The first was built in 1805 and heavily damaged in 1823. Quickly rebuilt that year, it was washed away in 1841. A third bridge was carried away by a spring flood in 1862. The fourth bridge was destroyed in a storm on July 4, 1866, and replaced the same year. This fifth bridge was in service for 92 years until it was closed to traffic in 1958. It was scheduled for demolition in 1973 due to heavy damage that year.
A "Save the Bedell Bridge Committee" raised $250,000 to rebuild the bridge, which was completed by 1978. The bridge was rededicated on July 22, 1979, only to be blown away again by a windstorm on September 14, 1979. The state park, as well as the abutments and a pier in the river, are all that remain.
Less famous but still essential bridges. Aroline Putnam scrambled up and down the banks of rivers and railbeds to photograph views of Newbury bridges that most of us never see. These were displayed at the Festival for visitors to try to identify – and they stumped most of us!
Viewing our bridge display at the West Newbury Congregational Church during the West Newbury Summer Festival.
Excerpt from the NHS Winter 2025 Newsletter