Durgin Bridge
Sandwich, Carroll County, New Hampshire
Last checked 2026-11-01 · Sources · More New Hampshire bridges
At a glance
- Status
- Listed in the state's covered bridge inventory[1]
- Year built
- 1869[1]
- Truss type
- Paddleford truss with arches, single-span[1]
- Length
- 96'0" long[1]
- Vehicle access
- Not verified
- Parking
- Not verified
Directions go to the bridge's mapped point, not a confirmed parking area.
About this bridge
Durgin Bridge is a covered bridge in Sandwich, Carroll County, New Hampshire. It appears in the NH Division of Historical Resources covered bridge inventory. The state record gives its construction date as 1869. Its structure is recorded as paddleford truss with arches, single-span. Wikidata records it as crossing Cold River. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (reference 83001130).
Bridge details
- Town
- Sandwich[1]
- Location / road
- Durgin Road spanning the Cold River[1]
- Year built
- 1869[1]
- Truss type
- Paddleford truss with arches, single-span[1]
- Length
- 96'0" long[1]
- Maintained by
- Town of Sandwich[1]
- Crosses
- Cold River[2]
- National Register ref.
- 83001130[3]
- Load posting
- Posted for six tons (state inventory)[1]
- NH bridge number
- 45[1]
- World Guide number
- 29-02-07[1]
- Coordinates
- 43.85590, -71.36432[1]
History
The current bridge is the fourth one on this site, the others being washed away in 1844, 1865 and 1869. In 1869, the freshet was so violent that iron bolts used to connect the great bed pieces of the middle pier to a large rock were twisted and broken. The iron bolts were two inches in diameter. The existing bridge was built by Jacob Berry of North Conway. Berry claimed that the bridge was so strong that it could be filled with wood without causing it to fail. There is no evidence that anyone ever attempted to prove his theory. The bridge is named for James Holmes Durgin who ran a grist mill nearby. The bridge was also a link in the underground railroad from Sandwich to North Conway. Milton Graton and his son Arnold repaired and strengthened the structure in 1967-1968. It was rehabilitated in 1983 at a cost of $24,250. The Durgin Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[1]
Text as published in the NH Division of Historical Resources covered bridge inventory, checked 2026-11-01.
Visiting
We have no official parking, accessibility or opening information for this bridge. Many covered bridges sit on working town roads. Park only where it is legal and safe, respect private property and posted signs, and check town or state notices for closures.
Not verified
We have not found an official source for: Vehicle access, Parking, Accessibility, Opening hours or seasonal closures. We leave these blank rather than guess. Never assume a road means you can drive, park or walk here.
Map
Red dot: this bridge. Green dots: nearest bridges in our list. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
Nearby bridges
- Whittier Bridge (Ossipee): 7.9 mi straight-line distance, not driving distance
- Albany Bridge (Albany): 12.0 mi straight-line distance, not driving distance
- Bump Bridge (Campton): 13.1 mi straight-line distance, not driving distance
- Turkey Jim's Bridge (Campton): 14.7 mi straight-line distance, not driving distance
- Swift River Bridge (Conway): 15.1 mi straight-line distance, not driving distance
Sources
- NH Division of Historical Resources covered bridge inventory: checked 2026-11-01
- Wikidata: checked 2026-11-01
- National Register of Historic Places (NPS), via Wikidata reference number: checked 2026-11-01
- Wikipedia article (background reading; not used for facts on this page)
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