History of the Victorian Village Bridge

History of the Victorian Village Bridge. first built in 1872. , Construction: The bridge was built in 1872 by Harrison Chamberlin, in West Townshend, Vermont. The bridge was of sturdy construction, Queen post truss, and was built to replace a poorly built uncovered bridge. , Location:Located on what was known as Mill Street (later Depot Road), it connected West Townshend Village, (sic) with the island, crossing a setback of the West River, giving access to the mills and shops on the island, and after 1880, to the new west (sic) River Railroad – hence the span’s name, Depot Bridge. , The Bridge’s Demise: The Bridge (sic) was condemned in the 1950’s when planning for the Townshend Dam put its site in the floodplain. In 1955, it was dismantled by the Army corps (sic) of Engineers to clear the way for the flood-control dam and reservoir in Townshend. Since no place was found to have the bridge placed elsewhere, Vrest Orton, then Chairman of the Vermont Historical Sites Commission and founder of the Vermont Country Store, had it taken down, boards marked and stored at the farm of Mr. Aubrey Stratton in West Townshend. , The Bridge Rises Again:Mr. Orton had plans to build a Victorian Village on land he had purchased in sight of Route 103 in Rockingham, Vermont. The dismantled Depot bridge was to become an addition to this project and renamed as the Victorian Village Bridge. In 1967, it was moved to this new site and reconstructed by Aubrey Stratton, shortened to a 43’ 9” King post truss.