The 1870 Willard Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge carrying Mill Street across the Ottauquechee River in the town of Hartland, Windsor County, Vermont. The bridge is the eastern bridge of two covered bridges on the road, which are connected via a small island in the river; the western bridge was built in 2001.

The road crosses the river at a point where it is briefly bisected by a small island. The western of the bridges carrying the road is a modern covered bridge, while the Willard Bridge is to the east. It is a single-span Town lattice truss 123 feet in length, resting on stone abutments faced in concrete. It is 21 feet wide, with a roadway width of 16.5 feet (one lane). The gable ends project beyond the trusses, and the roof is a standing seam metal roof. The bridge sides and portals are sheathed in vertical board siding; there are two square openings cut into each side.

The Willard Twin Covered Bridges are an interesting pair of covered bridges. Each bridge has its own history and the date appearing at the roof peak tells its current year of construction. Both bridges span the same Ottauquechee River. Willard, the “Old Bridge” was renovated in 1953 and repaired in 1979. The bridge is sometimes referred to as the North Hartland East Covered Bridge. 

There were always two covered bridges at this location. The original second bridge ("New Bridge") was built circa 1872 but was replaced in 1938 when the original was lost in the September hurricane of that same year. Many years later in 2001, when it began to deteriorate, the “New Bridge” was constructed and stands there still today. This bridge is also known as the North Hartland West Twin Covered Bridge.

Of the over 500 covered bridges that were built in the state of Vermont, as of 2019, only 104 remain.

Length of largest span: 112.9 ft.
Total length: 125 ft.
Deck width: 15.7 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 11 ft.

Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 1973.

Located at:  N43 35.625    W72 20.960     -     WGCB #45-14-02 

Photographed in July of 2019.