The 1853 Newfield Covered Bridge crosses over the Cayuga Inlet west branch in Newfield, Tompkins County, New York. It is the oldest covered bridge in New York that continues to carry motor vehicle traffic.

Built in 1853 by Samuel Hamm & Sons, David Dassance, and Patchen Parsons, this single span of 115 feet long and 16 feet wide was constructed with a Town truss with a laminated arch added in 1972 when Milton Graton re-built the bridge. This type of truss is actually an uninterrupted series of crisscross diagonals and it has been said it could be built by the mile and cut off by the yard. This was an easy and less expensive way to build bridges and lighter timbers could be utilized, yet provide reliable and enduring strength. Newfield’s covered bridge is the last survivor of the three original covered bridges erected in Tompkins County.

This bridge occupies a log bridge site that dates back to 1812 when the hamlet was called Florence. Information about the log bridge, along with all the records of the town, except the 1811 town minutes, was destroyed by fire in June 1875. Notes stating that the first sawmill built in Newfield in 1809 by Eliakim Dean was just about where the Covered Bridge is now. Several descendants of the men who built the Covered Bridge are still residents of Newfield today.

The Covered Bridge was erected between 1851-53, even though it was first planned in 1848. At the time of construction, men worked for $1.00 a day and lumber cost $6.00 per one thousand board feet. The total cost of the bridge was $800.00. The bridge is 115 feet long and 16 feet wide. When the Newfield bridge was built, solid siding originally ran the length of the bridge, but later diamond-shaped openings were cut through to admit light. This structure was dedicated to Elijah Moore, son of an early settler. It has been said that $200.00 was deposited in a bank to pay an artist to beautify the bridge with a mural, similar to the ones in the famous covered bridges in Luzern, Switzerland. However, the artist died, the committee failed to agree on his replacement and the onset of the Civil War ended the decorating plan.

There were two grist mills in Newfield below the bridge, a sawmill, a tannery, and a woolen mill above. The town has survived many floods. A 1905 flood swept away 4 or 5 dams above the Covered Bridge and washed tons of sand and gravel against the old bridge. It has been reported that there have been several small fires over the years on the bridge, but little damage was done at any time. The Newfield Covered Bridge has never been closed to traffic, except while repairs were being accomplished.

The Newfield structure has undergone floor repairs and reshingling several times in its 170-plus years. Complete restoration, including raising the entire bridge one foot, replacing trunnels throughout the bridge, strengthening, and doing many other needed repairs was done by Milton S. Graton of Ashland, New Hampshire.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places effective February 25, 2000.

Located at:  N42 21.784    W76 35.426     -     WGCB #32-55-01

Photographed in May 2023