Sawyer's Crossing Bridge
Swanzey, Cheshire 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
- 1859[1]
- Truss type
- Town lattice truss, two-span[1]
- Length
- Not verified
- Vehicle access
- Not verified
- Parking
- Not verified
Directions go to the bridge's mapped point, not a confirmed parking area.
About this bridge
Sawyer's Crossing Bridge is a covered bridge in Swanzey, Cheshire County, New Hampshire. It appears in the NH Division of Historical Resources covered bridge inventory. The state record gives its construction date as 1859. Its structure is recorded as town lattice truss, two-span. Wikidata records it as crossing Ashuelot River. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (reference 78000211).
Bridge details
- Town
- Swanzey[1]
- Location / road
- Sawyer’s Crossing Road, Swanzey[1]
- Year built
- 1859[1]
- Truss type
- Town lattice truss, two-span[1]
- Maintained by
- Town of Swanzey[1]
- Crosses
- Ashuelot River[2]
- National Register ref.
- 78000211[3]
- NH bridge number
- 6[1]
- World Guide number
- 29-03-05[1]
- Also known as
- Cresson Bridge[2]
- Coordinates
- 42.88622, -72.28651[1]
History
The Sawyer’s Crossing Bridge was constructed in 1859 to replace an earlier bridge built before 1771. Townsfolk celebrated the new bridge with a dinner dance held on the bridge itself. The bridge was lit by lanterns, two meals were served, and four musicians played well into the next morning. In 1953, the Sawyer’s Crossing Bridge found itself on the Arthur Godfrey Show as a tie-in to a Chesterfield Cigarette campaign. The national attention was so great that New Hampshire Governor Hugh Gregg appeared on the show and presented Godfrey with a deed to the bridge and a hand-crafted replica. The bridge is known locally as the Cresson Bridge after Thomas Cresson, who lived nearby. The bridge received major repairs in 1983 by Ervoke Corporation of Laconia, for $68,180.97. In 1996, the Sawyer’s Crossing Bridge was rehabilitated again by Wright Construction Co., Inc., of Mount Holly, Vermont, for $791,622. The Sawyer's Crossing 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: Length, 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
- Carlton Bridge (Swanzey): 2.3 mi straight-line distance, not driving distance
- West Swanzey Bridge (Swanzey): 2.3 mi straight-line distance, not driving distance
- Slate Bridge (Swanzey): 3.8 mi straight-line distance, not driving distance
- Coombs Bridge (Winchester): 5.0 mi straight-line distance, not driving distance
- Ashuelot Bridge (Winchester): 10.2 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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