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Lower or Black River or Coventry or Morrill's, Orleans County

If you find errors in the data please contact Bill Caswell.

If you would like to provide information on covered bridges that no longer exist from your state, or adopt a state to work on, we would certainly welcome your assistance. Please contact Trish Kane for more information.

Inventory Number: VT/45-10-02x
County: Orleans County
Township: Irasburg
Town/Village:
Bridge Name: Lower or Black River or Coventry or Morrill's
Crosses: Black River
Truss type: Paddleford
Spans: 1
Length: 87'
Roadway Width:
Built: 1879
Builder: John D. Colton
When Lost: 01 Nov 1997
Cause: Arson
Latitude: N44 51.656
Longitude: W072 16.401
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: Just off US 5/VT 14 to the village of Coventry then left on Covered Bridge Road 0.6 mile to the bridge.

Lower or Black River or Coventry Bridge, Irasburg, Orleans County, VT Built 1881 Lost to arson November 1, 1997
Raymond Brainerd Photo, September 20, 1940, NSPCB Archives

Lower or Black River or Coventry Bridge, Irasburg, Orleans County, VT Built 1881 Lost to arson November 1, 1997
Bill Caswell Photo

Lower or Black River or Coventry Bridge, Irasburg, Orleans County, VT Built 1881 Lost to arson November 1, 1997
Henry A. Gibson Photo, September 16, 1948, NSPCB Archives

Lower or Black River or Coventry Bridge, Irasburg, Orleans County, VT Built 1881 Lost to arson November 1, 1997
Herbert Richter Photo, 1957, NSPCB Archives

Comments:
14-panel truss. Per the Orleans County Monitor (Barton), January 6, 1879, "S. W. Allen and J. D. Colton have taken the job to build a covered bridge over the river near H. J. Morrill's." Another article from September 8th stated what a fine example of a covered bridge this one was, now finished. Per the Express and Standard (Newport), October 6, 1879, "Coventry.---The unsafe, rickety bridge across the river, near Mr. Morrill's has lately been replaced by a nice, new covered bridge. This with the one near Mr. Perry's are both substantial covered bridges and though more expensive at first are cheaper in the end. The work was done by John Colton, of Irasburgh, and cost the town about seven hundred dollars." Per the Orleans County Monitor (Barton), April 29, 1936, "Leon Damon and a crew of men began work on the Frank Orne covered bridge Monday morning, repairing damages caused by the flood. Parties from Newport are surveying for the new cement bridge which will take the place of the old covered bridge leading out of town toward Coventry [possibly 45-10-34]." Halloween arsonists burned this 116 year old bridge in 1997. Two Vermont men were found guilty of arson, fined and sentenced to perform community service. Two years later, and at a cost of approximately $400,000, the present near replica was officially opened on November 29, 1999. The first bridge was made of spruce, the current bridge is yellow pine. This bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 1974.

Sources:
Orleans County Monitor (Barton), April 29, 1936.
Express and Standard (Newport), October 6, 1879.
Orleans County Monitor (Barton), January 6, 1879.
Conwill, Joseph D.. Images of America - Vermont Covered Bridges, 2004, page 117

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