Stark Bridge
Stark, Coos 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
- c. 1862[1]
- Truss type
- Paddleford truss, single-span[1]
- Length
- 138' 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
Stark Bridge is a covered bridge in Stark, Coos County, New Hampshire. It appears in the NH Division of Historical Resources covered bridge inventory. The state record gives its construction date as c. 1862. Its structure is recorded as paddleford truss, single-span. Wikidata records it as crossing Upper Ammonoosuc River. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (reference 80000283).
Bridge details
- Town
- Stark[1]
- Location / road
- Northside Road, Stark over the Upper Ammonoosuc River[1]
- Year built
- c. 1862[1]
- Truss type
- Paddleford truss, single-span[1]
- Length
- 138' long[1]
- Maintained by
- Town of Stark[1]
- Crosses
- Upper Ammonoosuc River[2]
- National Register ref.
- 80000283[3]
- Load posting
- Posted for ten tons (state inventory)[1]
- NH bridge number
- 37[1]
- World Guide number
- 29-04-05[1]
- Coordinates
- 44.60104, -71.40816[1]
History
The Stark Bridge is one of the most photographed, illustrated, and painted covered bridges in New Hampshire. The exact date of its construction and the builder are unknown. The bridge was initially constructed as a two-span bridge with a center pier and pedestrian walkways on either side. A spring freshet in 1895 tore the structure from its abutments, destroyed the center pier, and floated the bridge downstream. The bridge was reinstalled as a single-span. In 1945, the town considered replacing the Stark Bridge with a steel and concrete structure, but the state intervened. Repairs were made by the state in 1954 for $24,000. The Stark Bridge received a $1.2 million renovation in 2015 by HEB Engineers and Alpine Construction. The project was awarded a Preservation Achievement Award by the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance and an Engineering Excellence Awards Competition National Recognition Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies in 2016.[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
- Groveton Bridge (Northumberland): 5.1 mi straight-line distance, not driving distance
- Mechanic Street Bridge (Lancaster): 11.0 mi straight-line distance, not driving distance
- Mount Orne Bridge (Lancaster): 15.5 mi straight-line distance, not driving distance
- Columbia Bridge (Columbia): 18.8 mi straight-line distance, not driving distance
- Riverwalk Covered Bridge (Littleton) (Littleton): 27.2 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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