Covered Bridges on Two Wheels

The bridge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the Bennington Falls Covered Bridge, and thus that is how I have "officially" identified it on these pages. However, it seems that "Paper Mill" is more popular, as that is the name that is on the portals.

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The original 1889 bridge was built by Charles F. Sears, son of Benjamin Sears who built the Silk Bridge, and who is also assumed (but not confirmed) to be the builder of the Henry Bridge. Both of these other bridges are nearby in Bennington and are almost identical in design.

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In the 1980s the bridge was bypassed with a temporary bridge when it was determined to be unsafe for vehicular traffic. According to the lead engineer of a covered bridge study conducted by the state, the bridge had been used for years as a diving platform for local youth. It spans a deep pool created by the dam, and the roof became a perfect jumping-off point. To reach the top of the bridge, people punched holes in the roof from below. The holes allowed rain to come in and soak the trusses which then became seriously rotted. After traffic was banned, the bridge remained open to pedestrians for a while until completely closed in 1994 when it was feared that it would collapse at any time. 

Controversially, it was purposely destroyed in 1999. The contractor that dismantled it reported that all but a handful of truss members were in any condition to be reused and the rest of the bridge was a total loss. A new Bennington Falls Bridge was built in 2000, again, with some controversy. The lead engineer from the state noted that the original bridge, besides being a victim to rot, was not built in the correct proportions for a Town lattice bridge. The height of the trusses, in relation to the length of the span, was not sufficient for proper strength. The study showed that the design was barely good enough for the bridge to support its own weight when first built. Any other weight on the bridge was stressing it. But, it was determined that any replacement bridge was to maintain the same dimensions (I suppose to retain historical accuracy). To do this, and still be able to handle modern traffic, the design called for the use of glue laminated (glu-lam) wood in some places instead of normal sawn timbers. This was much to the dismay of covered bridge purists.

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Be that as it may, a strong new bridge, uniquely featuring horizontally laid siding, now stands at Paper Mill Village. The original bridge had been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but the new one does not qualify for that distinction, despite replicating the old bridge as close as possible. Only time will allow it to be eligible for re-listing.