Covered Bridges on Two Wheels
A photographic journey to Vermont's Covered Bridges
Ledoux Hometown Footbridge
Current Status: Pedestrian Only (by design)
Location: Reading, at the Elementary School
Crosses: unnamed brook
GPS: 43.452717N, 72.535378W
Built: 2008 Length: 15 feet
Truss Design: Town lattice
WGN*: VT-14-g NRHP**: not eligible
* WGN: World Guide to Covered Bridges Number
**NRHP: Listed on National Register of Historic Places
If you are viewing these bridges in order on this web site, you might think you are seeing double. Well, you are - sort of.
The Ledoux Hometown Bridge is identical to the Johnny Esau Bridge which is on the grounds of the Marlboro Elementary School. This one serves as the entrance to nature trails behind the Reading Elementary School.
It therefore should be no surprise that Johnny Esau was behind this bridge as well. He led the effort with the help of Garret Mulder who had recently built the full-sized Mill Brook Bridge nearby.
All student classes had a hand in the bridge. Kindergartners through second grade students handled some of the light tasks such as cutting treenails and smaller boards. Third through sixth graders cut the larger timbers such as the rafters, chords and joists. Students from the fifth and sixth grade classes had the largest share of the responsibility, being involved in the design and construction.
These kids had a little advantage though. They were able to watch a slide-show of the construction of the bridge at the Marlboro school and could see how it was done.
Like the Johnny Esau bridge, the components of the bridge have little identification tags making this stop educational, as well as fun!
The Mill Brook (or Osgood) Bridge
In 2008, Garret Mulder built the Mill Brook Bridge on VT Route 106 in Reading for the owner, Eric Osgood. You'll likely come across it when visiting the Ledoux Hometown Bridge.
The reason it is not listed in these pages is that it is not an authentically constructed covered bridge. It is a steel beam stringer bridge with a cover built over it. The trusses are simulated.
Nevertheless, I mention it here because it is a very finely built bridge, which leads to a barn. When it's nice out, you may see one of the barn's inhabitants outside - a zebra!
Visiting the bridge:
The Reading Elementary School is located in the village of Felchville within the town of Reading. It is kind of tucked away behind other homes and can be a little hard to find.
When I visited this bridge, it was August and school was not in session, so I didn't have to worry about my presence raising suspicion. But if you do visit during school hours, the same suggestion as visiting the Johnny Esau Bridge applies - check in with the school office before heading out onto the grounds.
If you arrived to the bridge from the south, take the time to continue on north through the Village and view the many older homes that have been kept up in very nice condition. A typical quaint Vermont town.
Further north still, a little over 2 miles up VT 106 is the Mill Brook bridge (see sidebar above).