A Long Weekend in Vermont: Covered Bridge - Part 3 - Warren, Vermont, USA

A covered bridge is always a popular spot for photographers. I suspect though, the local residents who want to drive through, probably find the tourists standing in the roadway gawking to be a bit annoying sometimes.

Just look for signs to "covered bridge road."

 A covered bridge provides a great opportunity for making silhouettes.

Why did they cover the bridges anyway?

According to NH Tour Guide.com, "Covered bridges may have been covered for many reasons. To speculate, the biggest reason was to protect the wooden structure from the weather. Rain, snow, ice and the sun all make wooden bridges fail much faster. By covering the wooden bridge, the bridge would last longer. Most claim that is the reason why covered bridges are covered.

Covered bridges are also covered to help get cattle over the bridge, the sight of the rushing water scared the cattle and made them hesitate going over the bridge. It would also prevent the cattle from stampeding across the bridge. Some towns used to fine people if their horses or other cattle went over the bridge too fast, claiming it was damaging to the bridge.

Covered bridges were also covered to keep the rain off the wooden deck of the bridge which would make it very slippery. The roofs on covered bridges also kept the snow off the bridge.

Some also say the roof and walls on a covered bridge covered up the ugly trusses, and also provided shelter in bad weather.

Engineers also claim that the reason why covered bridges are covered was that the roof and walls help strengthen the covered bridges, adding to the reason to cover a bridge.

Today, covered bridges are built only to attract tourists and really serve no modern day purpose."

An advantage (and disadvantage) of traveling with photographers is that you both have a subject and are a subject at any moment.