Turkey Hill Covered Bridge Site

The Turkey Hill Road bridge over the Souhegan River is the site of the first covered bridge in Merrimack.

Town records indicate that a bridge was built in this location in 1751, but it is unclear whether it was covered. In 1830, one Samuel B. Patterson was contracted to build a bridge using the design of Ithiel Town. Town was the inventor of the Town Lattice truss bridge, a favorite design for covered bridges, making the 1830 bridge almost assuredly a covered bridge.

In 1859, another covered bridge was built at the same site by Ford Pellard. This was also of Town lattice construction measuring 124 feet long by 16 feet wide, with a clearance of 13 feet. This bridge stood until April 7, 1968 when it was burned by arsonists.

Today the site, which is accessible from the Turkey Hill Road parking lot at Weston Park, is marked by a stone and plaque. The massive abutment stones on both sides of the Souhegan River are clearly visible, marking its original location.

Directions to Turkey Hill Bridge site

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