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Arthur Smith, Franklin County

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Inventory Number: MA/21-06-03#2
County: Franklin County
Township: Colrain
Town/Village:
Bridge Name: Arthur Smith
Crosses: North River
Truss type: Burr
Spans: 1
Length: 98'
Roadway Width:
Built: 2006
Builder:
When Lost: standing
Cause:
Latitude: N42 40.194
Longitude: W072 43.135
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: 1.2 miles southwest of Colrain at jct of MA112 (Main Rd.) and Greenfield Rd., then 0.1 miles right on Lyonsville Rd.

Arthur Smith Bridge, Colrain, Franklin County, MA Built 2006
Bill Caswell Photo, September 2007

Arthur Smith Bridge, Colrain, Franklin County, MA Built 2006
Bill Caswell Photo, April 21, 2014

Arthur Smith Bridge, Colrain, Franklin County, MA Built 2006
Bill Caswell Photo, September 2007

Arthur Smith Bridge, Colrain, Franklin County, MA Built 2006
Bill Caswell Photo, April 21, 2014

Comments:
According to the National Register nomination form, the previous bridge at this location was originally built over the North River between Shattuckville and Griswoldville where it was known as the Fox-Temple Bridge (MA/21-06-13). It was abandoned shortly after 1890 when the main road from Shelburne Falls to Colrain was routed along the west side of Temple Farm to Griswoldville. In 1895 or 1896, the open bridge at Lyonsville collapsed under the weight of a herd of cattle being driven across by Arthur Smith’s hired hand. The town fathers decided to move the abandoned Fox Bridge. The pieces were numbered and the bridge dismantled, moved and re-erected at the new site where it became known as the Arthur A. Smith Bridge (MA/21-06-03). In 1920, laminated arches were added to strengthen the span so that the Carey Cider and Vinegar Company could transport heavier loads of vinegar from its mill to the railroad station. It was extensively repaired in 1955-1956 and closed to traffic in 1981 due to its badly deteriorated condition. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 3, 1983. Arnold Graton and his crew braced the bridge, and using a team of oxen, removed it from its abutments on Sunday, September 16, 1991 placing it between two corn fields at the end of Lyonsville Road while money was raised for its repair and relocation back over the river. Unfortunately, it continued to deteriorate during the 25 years that it sat in the cornfield until little suitable material remained. On October 19, 2005, the Greenfield Reporter noted that Northern Construction Service of Weymouth, Massachusetts had been contracted to reconstruct the bridge at a cost of about $2.1 million. They estimated that only about 30% of the original timber could be reused including some of the truss material, much of the roof framing and the slate shingles. The new span was completed in 2006. It was originally only open to pedestrian traffic but after years of debate, was opened to vehicular travel in Fall 2020. Arthur Alan Smith was born in the family farmstead adjacent to the North River on December 19, 1841. He served in the Civil War attaining the rank of captain. After the war he moved to Alabama and became active in community affairs. He returned to the family home in the 1870s and served in various capacities as a school board member, tax assessor; and Commander of the G.A.R. in Massachusetts. He died in Colrain on March 21, 1907.

Sources:
The Greenfield Recorder, Friday, September 14, 1990, pages 1 & 16.
Connecticut River Valley Covered Bridge Society. Bulletin, Volume III, no. 2 & 3, Fall 1956 / Winter 1957, page 4
Burk, John. Covered Bridges of Massachusetts, 2010, Page 54
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 39

Compilation 2026 Covered Spans of Yesteryear

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