MisterVA Travels to Courthouses & Covered Bridges

Planning the Next Adventure

Whenever there is a gap between travel times I make plans for the next trip or future trips.  My next known adventure will be in February, and the home base will be St. Louis.  With shorter daylight hours, I anticipate using two days of travel.  There is a remote possibility of a longer trip this summer, so I have about 7-9 day trips planned.  My hope is to get some pictures in Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri, but I haven't yet finalized plans.  A second trip would include a county in Iowa and one in Arkansas.  Some places I just won't get to see--including Rock Island County, Illinois, whose old courthouse faces demolition any day now.

At this point, it looks like I will keep to a multistate tour, and one south of St. Louis that will stretch into Arkansas.  I might nab a few close to St. Louis as well, time permitting.  Should a second trip be forthcoming, I will spend a day in Illinois, a day heading upriver toward Iowa, and back down the opposite bank of the Mississippi.  I will then venture further west and probably end up seeing a quarter to a third of Missouri's courthouses by the time I have finished.

Using a couple of books by Dennis Weiser, I have compiled power points for both Illinois and Missouri.  My efficiency has be greatly enhanced by John Deacon's website as well.  I have prepared these for Virginia, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia as well, and when I plan a trip, I have an easy resource to copy and paste into a current touring format.  I also will visit covered bridges as a part of my itineraries.  

As I am completing my Vermont and New Hampshire covered bridge treks, I have my sights set on New York, Pennsylvania, and even New Brunswick in the next couple of years.  For courthouses, my summer plans include two trips into New York, one of which will involve a few Pennsylvania counties. The next long trip to North Carolina in April will see me finish that state, and take a good bite out of Virginia.  I hope to add a few in Maryland and a couple in New Jersey, along with a handful in Pennsylvania.  For me, planning is a good part of the fun.  Providing pictures online for others to enjoy is another segment of my pleasure.  And, visiting places I would never see otherwise rounds out the trifecta.

Along the Maine (and New Hampshire) Coastline

In recent months, my wife and I have made some ventures into Maine.  One of the things we have done together is to visit lighthouses.  Some of our trips have been very early in the morning.  Sometimes, we have seen several.  Sometimes, we have seen only one.  We both lived in Maine at different points in our lives for several years.  Viewing these beacons of safety has not really been something we actively pursued back then, or even since treks to Maine together began back in the 1990s. But with a dearth of covered bridges and courthouses on the repeat for better pictures regimen, we thought that seeing one per trip--hopefully, monthly--would be something we could do as a couple.  Above, if you look closely, you will see two lighthouses.  We arrived at Portland Head Lighthouse just after sunrise, and with the tide at low ebb.  In the distance is Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse, about a mile off shore.  In this instance, the picture took itself.  There were two others that we saw a bit earlier which were closer to Portland.  Bug Light, also known formally as Portland Breakwater Lighthouse, was one which we walked out to and we were able to take some pretty good pictures.  It is a short, stout structure that overlooks downtown and the inner harbor.  Spring Point Lighthouse, which is less than a mile from Bug Light, was one that was taken from a distance.  It is taller than Bug Light, but much smaller than some of those closer to the open ocean.

We will probably re-visit Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse at a later date in order to get some better pictures.  On another occasion, we were able to get a distance view of Wood Island Lighthouse in Biddeford.  One needs a boat to be able to get close enough for a proper photograph. You can make out the outline of the lighthouse in the center of the picture taken from Old Orchard Beach.  There are a couple of others that we will visit on future trips, but we decided that order doesn't matter, which prompted a visit to Cape Neddick in York.  On a small island off a parking area is the photogenic Nubble Lighthouse.  It was festooned for Christmas, but we were there about 45 minutes before dusk.  Of note here, is that one of the small gifts I purchased for my wife at Christmas, was the December issue of Downeast Magazine.  I had completely forgotten the cover until she opened it.  Yes, it was Nubble Lighthouse.

Our next lighthouse visit was on New Year's Day.  This one was in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  The Granite State only sports 3 lighthouses--one on Lake Sunapee, near the Vermont line; one on the Isles of Shoals, which requires a boat trip; and, Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse.  Because a US Coast Guard station is on the grounds, visitors must stay on a painted blue line to avoid a longer stay.  We found out what gale force winds were on this particular visit.  The lighthouse itself is on the grounds of Fort Constitution--whose armaments were re-apportioned to other sights during the two world wars.  They were not replaced.  The no trespassing areas meant that the best photos could only be taken by coast guard members.  Beyond Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse is the Whaleback Ledge Lighthouse, which lies in the channel of the Piscataqua River, just over the state line in Maine.  Both are shown below.

As we made our way back to Massachusetts, we passed through Exeter, New Hampshire, a place where my grandfather called home for a couple of years after he left Cape Cod.  The Exeter Town Hall once served as the Rockingham County Courthouse, and it was a place where Abraham Lincoln gave a speech in 1860.  I asked to stop for pictures.  

Finally, as we made our way back home via a new route, we saw a covered bridge in Shirley, Massachusetts, which I had not seen before.  The Bull Run Covered Bridge was built privately in the early 1970s and serves as a backdrop for wedding functions among others.  It can be driven across, although we did not do so.  Not an authentic bridge, it still made for a nice picture nonetheless.

Sometimes, I stop for historic signs, and sometimes I do not. While on the road yesterday, a stop was made.  The two signs in Brimfield, Massachusetts, referenced Indian markers, and the signs themselves date to 1930--the tercentenary celebration of Massachusetts Bay Colony.  A number of old signs abound in the state.  The most weathered one appears below.  Some of them are on my Pinterest board for Historic Signs & Markers.  Until the next trip, remember to take Robert Frost's advice.

 

The Lamoille River Valley

There are two moments of observing trains that are etched in my mind.  The first was in the fall of 1978 along US Route 2 between Gorham, New Hampshire, and the Maine state line.  The railroad tracks along the Androscoggin River and with the reflection ponds between it and the highway presented a beautiful autumn view of the train against the rocky bluffs on the far side of the river among the birches and colorful maples.  The second was sometime in the 1980s as I observed a train pass through the Fisher RR Covered Bridge in Wolcott, Vermont, the last RR Covered Bridge in service in the state.  Two others remained in the state at the time--the since arsoned three span bridge over the Missisquoi River in Swanton, and the East Shoreham bridge which appears in an earlier entry from October.  The roadside park has been a fixture by the bridge that is about midway between Hardwick and Wolcott over the Lamoille River for a number of years.  Overgrowth actually has made picture taking during the dormant months from November to April better.  Due to icy conditions on the remaining tracks, I did not traverse the bridge to get photos from the other side.  I might do that in the future, however.

It had warmed up into the mid-20s by this point, and I decided to take the Hogback Road from Johnson to Waterville, and follow the North Branch of the Lamoille River for a few miles.  In the village of Waterville, just down the hill from the Waterville Church is the Village Covered Bridge.  I parked by the church and walked across to get some pictures from the other side of the 61 foot bridge built in 1877.  I have found that breaking the instamatic habit of limited exposures is difficult to break. I took a few pictures of each bridge--there are five of them in Waterville and Belvedere spanning the same stream.  I spent many evenings fishing there after work.  Mostly, by the next two which lie a short distance from one another about a mile or so north of the village on Route 109.  The Montgomery Bridge (1887) is quite scenic in the warmer months when one can get great views of the stream and large rocks downstream from the bridge.  It is only 70 feet long, but seems longer.  Ample parking is available across the bridge, which is only a couple of car lengths from the highway.  I've included a picture of one of my favorite fishing holes.  The third bridge is Codding Hollow Bridge or Kissing Bridge.  It has been refurbished and looks brand new. It was also built in 1877, and is 62 feet in length.  You can drive across all three.  Parking is best before the bridge, which is about 1/10th of a mile east of Route 109.

You can see the difference in the old bridge and the new.  Hopefully, the new timbers will weather quickly and restore the antiquated look.  Just a couple of miles north in Belvedere, there are two more covered bridges.  The Lumber Mill Bridge or Mill Bridge as it is more commonly known is the downstream bridge--about a half mile south of the Morgan Bridge.  Road closure limits where you can go if crossing the Morgan Bridge, but there is ample space on the straightaway to park for pictures.  The Mill Bridge was built in 1895 and is 70 feet long.  The windows are high, so I really couldn't duplicate the look that was available at the Morgan Bridge which was built in 1887 and is 62 feet in length.  The stream views are from the Morgan Bridge.

My final stop would be in Cambridge.  I passed by the north side of the Poland Bridge--now closed to traffic--and made my way to the village a few miles downstream.  I have passed by this bridge thousands of times and never stopped to walk up to it or across it.  I changed things up on this day.  It used to be on Route 15 just before the double barreled bridge that was moved to the Shelburne Museum in 1950.  Seymour Stream was re-routed, and the bridge movement that followed allowed for the farmer to access his pasture. The 60 foot bridge was built in 1897.  Here, then, are a couple of pictures of the Gates Farm Covered Bridge.

Winter Wonderland Covered Bridge Trek--Vermont in December

On the day after Christmas, one would expect to see a lot of snow in Vermont.  My trip that also saw a brief visit in New Hampshire provided some for a backdrop for covered bridge photos, but not too much to hamper the driving.  Leaving an hour before sunrise, I arrived in Lebanon, New Hampshire, before the downtown got busy.  I was able to find a great parking spot directly across from the former Grafton County District Courthouse which now serves as City Hall.  The temperature was slightly above 10 degrees.  The sky was blue.  A perfect setting for my picture.

My next segment was about an hour away.  The five covered bridges of Tunbridge, Vermont, along with one just over the line in Chelsea, all of which span the 1st Branch of the White River.  The five in Tunbridge were visited back in 2016, but I wanted some different angles and more than one picture of each bridge.  The first bridge I arrived at was Howe Bridge (built in 1879), which stands but a few feet from the main road. It was now a balmy 14 degrees.  Festively decorated, the bridge, only 75 feet in length, was crossing the ice filled stream which certainly harbored some nice brook trout, safe for a few more months from early season anglers. Cilley Bridge (1883) was next--just upstream from Howe Bridge, but on the left side of the main road.  And, believe it or not, the best picture was taken from my car.  It looks longer than its official length of 66 feet.  The Mill Bridge (1883) was only about 3/4 mile upstream from Cilley Bridge, left of the main road within the village.  Parking is not excellent in this location, so I added only one more picture of this bridge, measuring 72 feet.  They appear in order below.

The next set of three bridges was only a couple of miles or so upstream.  Larkin Road is on the east side of Vermont Route 110 where Larkin Bridge (1902) is situated about a quarter mile or so down the dirt road.  The other two, like Howe Bridge, are also to the east of 110.  Its high pitched roof makes it seem shorter than its 68 feet.  Distance pictures are certainly well taken here as there is a hill through pasture leading down to the river.  Side views are also doable, although, with the snow, I didn't do any rockhopping to get a stream level view.   Just a mile or so north is Flint Bridge--the oldest (1845) and longest (87 feet) of the five remaining covered bridges in Tunbridge. The best place to park is after driving through the bridge.  The stream view I have provided demonstrates my decision to stay ashore.  Finally, just over the Chelsea line, is Moxley Bridge(1883).  I had missed this one on an earlier trip.  Like all of the others, it is open to traffic. Its setting belies its short length of 56 feet.  There are lots of picture options available here. 

Since Chelsea is the county seat, I took advantage of the wintry background to take a picture or two of the Orange County Courthouse.

My next stop would be to see an authentic covered bridge that was built privately in 1962.  Crossing Jail Brook is the Robbins Nest Covered Bridge in East Barre, Vermont, a car length away from US Route 302.  It serves as part of the driveway and is posted, but it is very easy to photograph, although you want to be mindful of traffic.  I would continue my journey north to East Montpelier, to take new pictures of Coburn Bridge (c. 1850), which spans the Winooski River.  A scant 3 miles away, alongside US Route 2, a park has been created for the refurbished Martin Bridge(c. 1890).  This was a welcome sight, as parking to get pictures of the bridge in the past was a dangerous proposition.  At only 45 feet in length, its span over the Winooski River is one of the state's shortest.  Unlike many of the refurbishments that have taken place in Vermont in recent years, the bridge has a weathered appearance.  I skipped the two private bridges in Calais and Cabot, deferring to better weather when I will visit the one remaining bridge on my list--Greenbank Hollow in Danville.  I will provide the balance of my northbound trip in another entry.  But, here are the three Washington County bridges that I visited.

 

 

The North Country of New York--In Winter

Well, friends, it has been awhile since my last post, and this one will focus on a return trip from Vermont last week.  Some of it was nostalgic as I worked for 4 years in Northern New York while I was in the mortgage business.  But, I also knew that nabbing a couple of out of the way courthouses during a return trip, as well as a handful of covered bridges, would plug a big hole in my map.  The weather--other than the freezing rain for the first 50 miles--was quite un-winterlike.  Once it was light, the temperature rose into the 40s, and my first venture to Malone, New York, in nearly 25 years was underway.  The old courthouse is the site of the 1930 courthouse on the main street.  A section of the previous building is attached to the rear of the main building.  Another modern entrance is attached to the back.  I noticed a law firm where many of my closings had taken place in the same building where I had frequented on numerous occasions right across the street.  I did not try to locate all of the realtor firms that were a part of my bi-weekly visits 75 miles from home.  They were a fabulous bunch who worked together, and usually scheduled client meetings consecutively, in order to maximize the effectiveness.  The Franklin County Courthouse is pictured below.

This is not a scene in Malone in December that I would expect to see.  High snowbanks adorning the walkways and roadways would normally be the order of the day, but weather cycles do occur, and in a different year, I would be battling whiteouts.

Getting from Malone to anywhere that is not on US Route 11 is an adventure.  My next stop, Jay, New York, was nowhere near Route 11, so I travelled a number of county and town roads through the Adirondack Mountains in order to find the renovated Jay Covered Bridge over the AuSable River.  I had an old picture of it, and it is the only authentic one within the Adirondack Park that remains, but it was fading and it was "on the way".  The last time I was there, I was able to cross it, but it is now bypassed, which lessens the chances of vehicular damage as well as normal wear and tear.

My next stop would be merely a 22 mile drive past the site of the long gone Land of Makebelieve and onto the Essex County Seat of Elizabethtown.  Essex County is one of the largest counties in New York.  I had not been there for close to 35 years.  It is where John Brown's body lay prior to it being buried in North Elba in 1859.  It was guarded while in the courthouse--a building begun in the 1820s.  It is now part of the county office complex and a newer courthouse was constructed in 1995.  Here are some photos of both courthouses as well as an historic sign.

I now had a good 100 mile drive to the Salem, New York, area.  Let me advise you that there is no cell signal on Route 22 in Salem.  I found this out on an earlier trip to photograph the old Washington County Courthouse. Since there were three covered bridges in town, I plugged in the address of the Rexleigh Covered Bridge well ahead of time.  I recommend that you do the same.  Rexleigh Road is south of the village and this is the easiest of the 3 bridges to find.  It is about a mile off Route 22 and it, like the other two, spans the Battenkill.  There is ample parking here, unlike at the other two bridges in town.  The Shushan Bridge is now a museum, and it was closed while I was there.  A road just north of Rexleigh Road on the east side of Route 22 is easy to miss.  Shushan Road leads to the hamlet of Shushan and it is about a 3 mile drive.  At an intersection of county roads, you'll see it to the side of a modern bridge.  The good news is that your cell phone will pick up signal here as it is at a much higher elevation than Route 22.  The Eagleville Covered Bridge is about a mile and a half away on Eagleville Rd--just on the other side of the Hamlet of Shushan.  Parking here is limited as well and there is posted property that you want to avoid traipsing upon.  You can get side views from the north side of the bridge.  All three are pictured here in order.

Finally, after retreating back near the site of the Shushan Bridge, I got honed in on the signal to get directions to my final stop.  The Buskirk Covered Bridge has great parking and is easily photographed from all sides.  It is barn red and straddles the Washington/Renssalaer County line as it spans the Hoosick River.  It is just off Route 67--about ten miles west of the Vermont line.  Here are some pictures of it.

Finally, I was headed home via Bennington, Vermont.  I had taken pictures of the bridges there in October 2017.  I also visited the monument which I had been to as a kid.  But, the Battle of Bennington, under the direction of General Stark of New Hampshire, actually took place ten miles away in Hoosick, New York.  One of the British cannons captured resides in Plymouth, New Hampshire.  The park was closed, but I will be back.