East Shoreham Covered Railroad Bridge
SE of Shoreham over Lemon Fair River, Shoreham, VTThe East Shoreham covered railroad bridge is unique in Vermont, being the only Howe truss bridge among three covered railroad bridges to survive in the state. Built in 1897 by the Rutland Railroad Company, the bridge carried trains over the Lemon Fair River until 1951 when the railroad abandoned the Addison Branch line and removed the track. Subsequently, the Vermont Department of Fish and Game purchased land along the river, including the bridge. In 1972 the Vermont Division of Historic Sites obtained possession of the bridge. The Division intends to preserve the bridge in situ. The bridge remains original in structure and materials, although lack of maintenance for several years has resulted in some deterioration.
The East Shoreham bridge represents the last generation of covered wood bridges built for railroads. Its Howe trusses use some iron components notably adjustable iron rods to hold the structure in tension which marks the transition to wholly iron bridges. Indeed the latter were already common by the time of the construction of the East Shoreham Bridge. Apparently, however, the light traffic of the Addison Branch did not justify the cost of an iron bridge.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.