The Hopkinton Town Library Presents:

The Contoocook Village Quilt

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West Hopkinton Bridge (Rowell's Bridge) by Mrs. Richard Drescher   It appears that there was a bridge over Contoocook River at West Hopkinton as early as 1793 being located a little below the residence of Abraham Rowell, hence the name Rowell's Bridge.   In 1852 the Town voted to rebuild Rowell's Bridge, of wood with stone abutments, the former bridge having been washed away in the spring of that year. This bridge, still standing, is remarkable in several ways, It was built by Horace Childs of Henniker who used the Stephen H. Long patent for a covered bridge truss. Col. Long was a native of Hopkinton, born on Emerson Hill and later living in Hopkinton Village. He patented his well-known covered bridge truss in 1830. One of his covered bridge models is on exhibition at the Antiquarian rooms, as is a replica of the Contoocook covered bridge. About 1930 it was thought that a central pier would strengthen the West Hopkinton Bridge, but his only acted as a fulcrum and caused the bridge to teeter under heavy loads. The top pier was removed and now as Ernest Walker says, "There are three feet of good New Hampshire air between pier and bridge and it behaves very well." This apparently useless pier causes come comment and question from viewers today, for the bridge being the only one left in Town, aside from the railroad bridge no longer used as such, is a gathering place of many artists and photographers the year round. In the winter of 1956, the year of our Bicentennial celebration, Rowell's Bridge was repaired, a worth landmark.   From: The Life and Times of Hopkinton by C.C. Lord   Booklet compiled for Bicentennial Celebration N.H. Antiquarian Society   Mrs. Richard Drescher Maple Street

Back to Grenert House Next to Old Contoocook Fire House LOC Subject Headings Bridges -- New Hampshire -- Hopkinton -- Pictorial works Bridges -- New Hampshire -- Contoocook-- Pictorial works Bridges -- New Hampshire -- Warner River -- Pictorial works Warner River -- New Hampshire -- Pictorial works