The Conway Public Library has reunited four paintings of local covered bridges for the first time in ten years.
Each of the paintings depicts a local historic bridge during a different season: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
For a driving tour to visit the site of each of the four bridges follow this link here.
Three of the paintings are on loan courtesy of Sut and Margaret Marshall and one is on loan from Kennett High School. The Summer painting was presented to Kennett High School on July 25, 2015 from the Kennett High School Alumni Association, Class of 1965, as part of their 50th reunion.
The bridges were painted by Conway artist Ernest O. Brown in 1970-71 for the now closed White Mountain National Bank in North Conway.
They were originally displayed on the walls of the branch bank in Conway and later at the main office in North Conway. After the bank changed owners the four paintings were lost until 2015 when Charles Kilgore of Nashua NH acquired the suite from a thrift store and contacted the artist, Ernest O. Brown, as to the provenance and possible restoration of the artworks.
They were cleaned, restored and framed in February - March 2015 at "The Studio of Ernest O. Brown, LLC" in Conway in preparation for an open art show entitled "The Bridges of Conway" presented by the Mount Washington Art Association and displayed at the Conway Public Library April 1-30, 2015 as part of the 250th celebration of the Town of Conway.
A covered bridge model on loan from the Conway Historical Society is displayed nearby for patrons and visitors to explore the traditional construction techniques used in building these bridges.
Let's look at each of these paintings in seasonal order as they are displayed on the wall from left to right.
Spring - Swift River bridge
You can click on the images to enlarge them. Note the touches of "spring green" in the foreground.
The lower corners of the facade end in sharp downward points and the road to bridge as well as the stone abutment is curved. This can be seen if you visit the bridge today.
This bridge is only a short distance from the library, has parking on both sides, and is closed to vehicular traffic making it an excellent place to study the details of bridge construction.
It also has picnic benches to enjoy a meal or snack.
Nearby there is a bronze plaque about the bridge and its restoration.
Each of the paintings was signed, dated and labeled by Ernie on the back.
Each also has a typed interpretive label adhered to the back as well.
Ernie signed and dated each of his paintings on the front with a distinctive logo. Here is his signature on the spring painting
The State of NH maintains an interactive list and map of covered bridges which you can study here.
According to the State of NH website:
The Swift River bridge is #47
Year of Construction: 1870
Original Cost: $1,458.42Maintained by: Town of Conway
Location: One-half mile north of N.H. Route 16 at offWest Side Road over the Swift River
World Guide #29-02-05#2
Bridge Style: Paddleford truss with arches, single-span
Structural Characteristics: The bridge is 129' long with a clear span of 110'6". It has an overall width of 21'0" with a roadway width of 17'2", and a minimum vertical clearance of 13'2". The structure is closed to vehicular traffic.
Historical Remarks: The first bridge on this site was built by John Douglas in 1850. It gave much needed access to the north using West Side Road and served local commerce well until the spring of 1869. At that time, heavy rains swelled the river and the raging waters lifted the bridge from its foundation, turned it around, and sent it rapidly downstream into the Saco River Bridge knocking it off its moorings. Both damaged structures broke up and came to rest two miles downstream. In a striking demonstration of Yankee thrift, much of the lumber salvaged from these two bridges was used in the building of the new Swift River Bridge constructed by Jacob Berry and his son Jacob Jr. The current bridge was bypassed when a new concrete and steel bridge was built nearby in 1974. The Swift River Bridge was renovated after an extensive fundraising campaign in 1991. Bobcat Welding of Albany made the repairs. The Swift River Bridge is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
If you look closely between the two trees at the left of the bridge you can see a farmer plowing with a pair oxen.
Summer - Saco River covered bridge
Note that the plants are now in the deep green of full summer.
If you compare the painting with the photo you can see that the corners of the facade terminate in "flat" not sharply pointed ends and that the approach to the bridge is straight not curved.
Again a nearby plaque provides historical information and acknowledgement for the bridge's reconstruction.
Saco River bridge #48
Year of Construction: 1890
Original Cost: $4,392.63
Maintained by: New Hampshire Department of Transportation
Location: East Side Road in Conway Village. The bridge spans the Saco River
World Guide #29-02-03#3
Bridge Style: Paddleford truss with arches, two-span
Structural Characteristics: The bridge is 225' long ". It has an overall width of 30'4" with a roadway width of 18'3" and a minimum vertical clearance of 13'7". It is posted for six tons.
Historical Remarks: In 1850, Jacob Berry and Peter Paddleford built a covered bridge to replace a crudely framed log bridge that had collapsed at this site. The 1850 bridge stood until the Swift River bridge crashed into it in 1869. The Saco River covered bridge was rebuilt by Allen and Warren of Conway but it was destroyed again by a tannery fire in 1890. The current bridge was built by Charles Broughton and his son Frank. The Saco River Bridge was rehabilitated by the state in 1989 for $550,000.
Here is his signature on the summer painting
To the left of the bridge you can see a farmer farmer bringing in a load of hay. Bridges had to be built to accommodate the weight and height of a wagon loaded with hay.
Autumn Smith-Eastman covered bridge
For this painting the artist chose to depict a time in late autumn after the glorious fall leaves have fallen and the trees are bare. This was a busy time for the farm as the harvest was collected and some of it brought to market. At the other end of the bridge there is a farmer driving a wagon pulled by horses.
The maple tree on the left of the bridge has only recently been cut.
It was one of the largest trees in town.
Note the straight, but inclined, approach to the bridge in the painting which still exists today as a remnant of the past.
The bridge however is gone.
It burned in July 1975. More information about this bridge can be found on this website that includes lost bridges here.
The middle support pier for the bridge still stands.
Just inside the bridge you can see broadsides posted on the wall. The bridges served as a community bulletin board.
There is parking here for the Upper Saco Valley Land Trust's Pine Hill Community Forest trail system. For a map follow this link here.
Here is his signature on the autumn painting
The site for this bridge can be seen on c. 1765 lot map on display at the Conway Public Library.
This detail show plans for a "Centre Square," or town green that would front the meeting house, and then the bridge.
This portrait of Nathaniel Porter, Conway's first minister is on display at the library. He would have preached at the Meeting House.
Winter - Albany covered bridge
Except for the tall evergreens all of the plants are covered with a "freshly fallen silent shroud of snow."
Here is a view of the bridge as it is today.
Here is his signature on the winter painting
The Albany bridge is NH State #49.
Year of Construction: 1858
Original Cost: UnknownMaintained by: Town of Albany
Location: Dugway Road, Albany. The bridge spans the Swift River
World Guide #29-02-06
Bridge Style: Paddleford truss with arches, single-span
Structural Characteristics: The bridge is 120' long with a clear span of 100'0". It has an overall width of 21'0" with a roadway width of 15'3", and a maximum vertical clearance of 11'0". It is posted for six tons.
Historical Remarks: The first bridge on this site was constructed in 1857 and destroyed by a windstorm in 1858. At that time, Amzi Russell and Leandre Morton entered into an agreement with the town to build a new bridge for $1,300 minus the amount previously paid for the original bridge. The bridge has wide shallow arches and sharply raked facades. The U.S. Forest Service replaced several wooden floor timbers with steel in 1989. The bridge was repaired by the state in 1995 for $66,406.57 and again in 2009. The Albany Bridge is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
While there is no farmer in the background of the painting farm families were still active during the winter processing the crops harvested in the fall and taking advantage of the snow to log and drag wood out of the woods. For a chart of farm work throughout the year see our blog here.
Farmers also helped with "snowing the bridges." Snow was shoveled into a wagon or dump cart, put down onto covered bridges and then rolled smooth with a snow roller so the horse drawn sleighs would not damage the bridge floor.
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Sut Marshall with the snow roller he and his wife Margaret donated to the Remick Museum in October 2008.
For an article on snow rollers follow this link here.
The Albany bridge has interpretive signage on both sides of the bridge.
The sign on the south side covers how roads and bridges and stagecoaches once connected a thriving community. The area is part of the White Mountain National Forest and gone are the stores, inns and taverns of the past.
On the north side of the bridge there is an ADA accessible fishing spot...
... and more interpretive signage. These signs cover details of the bridge such as why bridges were covered, why there were built "a load of hay wide, high and strong" and how the bridge was restored.
You can continue on to the parking area for the Boulder Loop Trail.
The Conway Library has many books, maps and photos about covered bridges. Contact us for more details.
We also have another Ernest Brown painting on display at the library. To learn about that follow this link here.
FMI contact us at the Conway Public Library's Henney History Room.
