Contributed by Boston Public Library
- Item 70079
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Description
The Old Covered Bridge (or Stillwater Bridge) in Old Town, Maine crossed the Stillwater River. The original 1835 bridge was damaged by a freshet and rebuilt in 1836 after the formation of the Proprietors of Upper Stillwater Bridge, whose sole purpose was to replace and maintain the bridge above the falls. The Act establishing the group specified that it was for a bridge “sufficiently high for the passage of rafts of timber, boards and other lumber with two sufficient sidewalks for foot passengers” to be built within three years, though construction was actually done with months. The corporation was granted the right to charge tolls for people and livestock, though free passage was afforded to foot passengers and those traveling for town meetings, church, or military service.
The covered bridge collapsed within a year of its construction, resulting in the 1836 replacement pictured in this postcard. A home for the toll master and his family stood near the bridge. It underwent major repairs in 1845 and acted as a toll bridge until 1870, at which time Old Town bought the bridge to perform additional needed repairs. At the time it was replaced in 1951, the Stillwater Bridge at Old Town was the last double-barrel covered bridge in Maine, likely able to last longer than other covered bridges because it experienced a lighter traffic load.
The caption reads, "Old Covered Bridge, Old Town, Maine."
The Tichnor Brothers printing company published this type of postcard circa 1938.
About This Item
- Title: Old Covered Bridge, Old Town, ca. 1938
- Creator: Tichnor Bros., Inc.
- Creation Date: circa 1938
- Subject Date: circa 1938
- Location: Old Town, Penobscot County, ME
- Media: Linen texture postcard
- Dimensions: 9 cm x 14 cm
- Collection: The Tichnor Brothers Collection
- Object Type: Text and Image
Cross Reference Searches
Standardized Subject Headings
- Bridges--Maine--Old Town
- Covered bridges--Maine--Old Town
- Old Covered Bridge (Old Town, Me.)
- Postcards
- Stillwater River (Me.)
Other Keywords
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