June 2025
Covered bridges were once quite popular across North America throughout the 19th century. Back when wood was inexpensive and commonly used in bridge construction, there was an obvious benefit to adding walls and roofs to slow deterioration caused by rain, snow and the sun. Covered bridges, a timber-truss structure with a roof, decking and siding, commonly have a life-span of 100 years, over five times the usual life-span of uncovered wooden bridges.
Beaverkill Bridge, also known as Conklin Bridge, is a 98-foot hemlock lattice truss wooden covered bridge in Rockland, New York. Erected in 1865, the bridge, which utilizes an unusual modification of the lattice truss design, is supported by dry-laid fieldstone abutments faced in concrete at either end. This was one of the first bridges built over the Beaverkill River, in what was then still a largely unsettled region of northern Sullivan County, in the Catskills Mountains, one of about 14,000 covered bridges built across America, mostly between the years of 1825 to 1875.
The bridge is covered on either side with vertical board-and-batten siding taht begins a foot below the lower chord and rises to a gabled metal roof, 11.5 feet high, supported by tie-beam rafters with transverse metal rods and diagonal cross-bracing. Interior clearance is only 6.5 feet, enforced by metal height restrictors near the portals, with a single traffic lane. Its distinctive feature is the diagonals connected to the lower chord by pins, which eliminated the need for vertical members on longer bridges.
A tannery was established in 1832, near where the bridge would eventually be built. The small hamlet of Beaverkill grew up around it, and several other tanneries followed in the proceeding years. By 1872, Beaverkill had a population of roughly a hundred, a school and a post office.
By the mid-1800s, wrought iron and cast iron bridges became more common, as they were cheaper than timber trusses. As these metal bridges did not need protection from the elements, so they no longer needed to be covered. Additionally, covered bridges became obsolete because most were single-lane bridges, with low width and height clearances, and thus could not support the heavy loads of modern traffic.
The Beaverkill Bridge was an early step in settling the remote area that had remained mostly unsettled well into the 19th century. It remained long after the demise of the small town that grew up around it. In 1948, the town proposed replacing the aging wooden bridge, but it aroused such strong community opposition that this plan was cancelled in favour of repairing the bridge and ensuring its continued use.
As part of the preservation efforts, the county assumed ownership of the bridge. The only significant alteration has been facing the abutments with concrete. While many of the larger, modern commercial vehicles are still excluded from using the 160-year-old bridge, it was strengthened to accommodate heavy emergency and service vehicles that need to use it to cross the river.
On 3 October 2007, the Beaverkill Bridge was listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, thus ensuring its preservation for decades to come.
Sources: Beaverkill Bridge – Wikipedia, Beaverkill | New York State Covered Bridge Society.
