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Longley or Harnois or Samuel Head, Franklin 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/45-06-08x
County: Franklin County
Township: Montgomery
Town/Village:
Bridge Name: Longley or Harnois or Samuel Head
Crosses: Trout River
Truss type: Town
Spans: 1
Length: 85'
Roadway Width:
Built: 1882
Builder: Sheldon & Savanard Jewett
When Lost: 2017
Cause: Rebuilt/Replaced
Latitude: N44 54.44
Longitude: W072 39.33
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: 1.1 miles northwest of main intersection in Montgomery on VT118, then just left on Longley Bridge Rd.

Longley or Harnois or Head Bridge, Montgomery, Franklin County, VT Built 1863
Bill Caswell Photo

Longley or Harnois or Head Bridge, Montgomery, Franklin County, VT Built 1863
Richard E. Roy Collection

Longley or Harnois or Head Bridge, Montgomery, Franklin County, VT Built 1863
Bob Sheldon Photo, September 4, 2011

Longley or Harnois or Head Bridge, Montgomery, Franklin County, VT Built 1863
Bill Caswell Photo, March 9, 2013

Longley or Harnois or Samuel Head Bridge, Montgomery, Franklin County, VT Built 1863 Rebuilt/Replaced 2017
Todd Clark Collection

Comments:
A construction date of 1863 is often reported for the first known covered bridge at this location. However, that is 20 years earlier than any other bridge built by the Jewett brothers. While the date may refer to an earlier bridge at this location, we are not aware of details of that structure. On January 26, 1882, the St. Albans Daily Messenger stated that "The selectmen will meet at O. N. Kelton's office on Saturday next at 1 o'clock p. m., to receive sealed proposals for building a covered bridge the coming season near Samuel Head's, in accordance with the recent vote of the town." On July 28, 1882, the St. Albans Weekly Messenger reported that “the Jewett Brothers have completed the new covered bridge near Samuel Head’s.” It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 30, 1974. In 1979 it was reinforced with three steel beams cantilevered from west abutment and the original abutments were capped and faced with concrete. A complete restoration was made by Jan Lewandoski during the winter of 1992-93 including a new deck, additional floor beams, chord repairs, siding and roof repairs. In 2017, it was replaced by a new covered bridge.

Sources:
St. Albans Daily Messenger, Monday, March 9, 1874, Page 2.
St. Albans Weekly Messenger, July 28, 1882, page 5
St. Albans Daily Messenger, January 26, 1882.
Conwill, Joseph D.. Images of America - Vermont Covered Bridges, 2004, page 107
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2009, page 142

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