Covered Bridges on Two Wheels
A photographic journey to Vermont's Covered Bridges
A.M. Foster Bridge
 November 2012 |  November 2012 |
|---|---|
 November 2012 |  November 2012 |
Current Status: Pedestrian Only, private
Location: Cabot, off Cabot Plains Road
Crosses: man-made pond
GPS: 44.423429N, 72.268362W
Built: 1988 Length: 47.5 feet
Truss Design: Queenpost
WGN*: VT-12-75 NRHP**: not eligible
* WGN: World Guide to Covered Bridges Number
**NRHP: Listed on National Register of Historic Places
While the A.M. Foster Bridge may not be historic (having been built only in the late 1900's) it is nevertheless an authentically constructed covered bridge, using the same design as its historic forebears. It is located in the town of Cabot, in an area known as Cabot Plains.
The source of the name of this bridge is quite traceable. It was named for Alonzo Merrill Foster, the inventor of a type of maple spout (for collecting sap from maple trees to be made into syrup). It was built by Foster's great-grandson on the farm that Foster once owned. Since the bridge is fairly new, its history is easy to trace. There is a very nice story about the bridge, and how it came to be, on the web site of the Cabot Historical Society. Rather than rehash the story here (which would not do it justice), I recommend visiting the site.
Visiting the bridge:
While not historic in nature, the bridge is located in an area that affords beautiful views to the west, and it is worth a trip. Unfortunately for motorcyclists, you must travel a dirt road to get there.
Pay very special attention to whatever mapping software or GPS device you might use to reach the bridge. There is a stretch of road that leads to the bridge from Route 215 called the Bayley-Hazen Road (a historic Revolutionary War era military route).
This stretch of the Bayley-Hazen road is no more that a one lane track through a stretch of woods, with a few secluded homes on it. Unless you have an ADV type of motorcycle, you may want to avoid it. If it is snowy when you visit, and you do not have four-wheel (or all-wheel) drive vehicle, you may also want to skip this road, as I don't believe it is officially maintained in the winter. The alternative to using the Bayley-Hazen road (the "long way around") is not that much further.
There is no parking area at the bridge. Since a motorcycle on the side of the road does not impede traffic, that is where I parked. You may be able to park at the cemetery which is almost across the road from the bridge, but since the road is not too busy, you may be okay just to park on the side of the road itself.
Please note that you are asked to not drive out into the field and over the bridge. It is on private property, but the owners allow you to explore the bridge on foot.