Blair - 1829
The Blair Covered Bridge was a wooden bridge built in 1829, that crossed the Pemigewasset River near Campton, New Hampshire. This bridge was built at a cost of $1,000 and was burned down by a man named Lem Parker who claimed that God told him to do it. Parker was taken to court and confessed to the charges. However, he was found not guilty because there were no witnesses.
The construction of the current bridge was brought about when a doctor trying to ford the river on horseback found the current too strong. The horse drowned, but the doctor was saved. The town voted to build a bridge immediately. A sign was posted on the bridge indicating there was a fine of five dollars for riding or driving on the bridge faster than five miles per hour. Milton Graton and his son Arnold rebuilt it later in 1977 at the cost of $59,379. The town of Campton and the state shared the cost of the repair.
The bridge was damaged during Tropical Storm Irene on August 28, 2011. After this period, the bridge underwent many structural repairs by master Bridgewright Arnold M. Graton and reopened in early 2015, with a weight limit of six tons per vehicle - twice as much as the old limit of three tons. As with many covered bridges, it is only wide enough for one lane of traffic; opposing traffic must wait until the bridge has cleared.
Of the 400 covered bridges that once stood in the state of New Hampshire, as of 2019 only 54 remain.
The Blair Bridge is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Located at: N43 48.619 W71 39.944 - WGCB #29-05-09
Photographed in July of 2019.