Covered Bridges on Two Wheels
A photographic journey to Vermont's Covered Bridges
Chiselville Bridge
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A chisel factory, and the employee housing associated with it, gave rise to the Chiselville hamlet located within the town of Sunderland. Naturally, the covered bridge built there was named for the village. Being high above the Roaring Branch has given this bridge the additional appellations of the High Bridge and Roaring Branch Bridge. Forty feet above the water below, it is second in height after the Halpin Bridge.
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A covered bridge was originally built on this site in 1841 but it was destroyed by a wind-packed storm in 1869. Like the Arlington Green Bridge nearby, Chiselville is located in an area prone to high winds. The bridge was rebuilt the next year, and cables have been attached to help stabilize it against the winds.
Current Status: Open
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Location: Sunderland, on Sunderland Hill Road
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Crosses: Roaring Branch of the Batten Kill
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GPS: 43.072191N, 73.133159W
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Built: 1870 Length: 116.5 feet
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Truss Design: Town lattice
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WGN*: VT-02-05 NRHP**: not eligible
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* WGN: World Guide to Covered Bridges Number
**NRHP: Listed on National Register of Historic Places
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In 1971, two fully loaded dump trucks attempted to cross the bridge at the same time and severely damaged the floor. The repair consisted of replacing the floor with a cement slab independently supported by steel stringers, and a concrete center pier. The trusses now only support the dead load of the bridge itself and no longer the live load of traffic. Despite the addition of the center pier, the bridge is still a single span, contrary to some sources that list it as two spans.
Perhaps at the time the bridge was rebuilt, it was not considered important to preserve the authenticity of the bridge, or the road use really required the use of concrete. As a result, the bridge cannot truly be considered authentic anymore, but it was originally. At least they didn't tear the whole thing down. The timing of the damage and subsequent repair was such that the bridge unfortunately could not be included on the State's application to have Vermont's covered bridges listed as Historic Places on the National Registry. All eligible bridges were placed on the list in the 1973-74 time frame.
Visiting the bridge:
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The bridge is easy to reach, on a paved road - a very busy paved road. There has been no official parking area set up for the bridge, but over the years a "wide spot" in the road has been worn on the eastern side of the bridge. The western side has no place to park at all (other than someone's private driveway).
The bridge is extremely narrow, as are the roads leading up to it, making pedestrian travel in this area dangerous. Be very aware of the traffic in the area as you visit. Once inside the bridge, there really is nowhere for you to get out of the way of a vehicle unless you climb up into the trusses (which I actually had to do). And despite the narrowness of the bridge, the locals definitely drive over the bridge "faster than a walk".
Plan to spend some considerable time here if you want to photograph the bridge from below. There is a steep trail allowing you to climb down into the gorge and back out. From there you can walk over the rocks up and downstream. Probably also best to do it in the summer after the spring snow melt has subsided if you are going to go down there.