The Covered Bridges of Nova Scotia

The Covered Bridges of Nova Scotia

Many people think that New Brunswick was the only province in
Atlantic Canada that used Covered Bridges.
However Nova Scotia had a number of these bridges.
It's too bad that none are left standing today.
The following is a few pictures of the ones that I have collected so far.
If anyone has other pictures you are invited to send them to me for inclusion in this page
This page is just in the first stage and
I hope to have many more pictures of the Nova Scotia Covered Bridges
Please check back regularly.

If any of my visitors have pictures of Nova Scotia's Covered bridges
and would like them added please E Mail by clicking below

E Mail me by clicking here

Aspen (Weeks) Covered Bridge

Pictures of the Aspen Bridge were provided by Blair Morrow

Aspen Covered Bridge Built approx.. 1878

Shubenacadie Covered Bridge 1905 This picture is Courtesy of Hants County, Nova ScotiaGenWeb Project

Kennetcook Covered Bridge 1964

Kennetcook Covered Bridge 1957

Kennetcook Covered Bridge Year taken 1953

Kennetcook was the site of the last wooden covered bridge in Nova Scotia.
The bridge was almost 100 years old when it was removed in the early 1960

These pictures of the Kennetcook Covered Bridge were used with the permission of Kennetcook Community Visions Society

Kennetcook Covered Bridge Year taken around 1940

This picture was submitted by Stephen White

Kennetcook Covered Bridge Year taken 1953
If I ever saw a Christmas Card Scene, this is it.

This picture was submitted by Stephen White

This bridge crossed the Avon River between Windsor and Falmouth.
It was built in 1836 and was a toll bridge. It was destroyed by fire in 1888.

Avonport Covered Bridge This picture was submitted by James Custance

Hortonville Bridge (Gaspreau River)

Hortonville Bridge (Gaspreau River)

The Hortonville Bridge was on the old Route 1 between Windsor and Wolfville crossing the Gaspreau River.
This was the most heavily traveled covered bridge in Nova Scotia.
It burned in the early 1950's and was replaced at that time with a Bailey Bridge.
In the early 1970's that was replaced by this new twin span steel bridge
when the new Highway 101 was built.

Hortonville Bridge (Gaspreau River) in the early 1950's

This picture was submitted by Jon Archibald of
Peterborough, Ontario
Jon thought the picture was taken in the early 50's

Hortonville Bridge (Gaspreau River) This picture was submitted by James Custance

In this location stood the Port Williams Covered Bridge from 1835 to 1885

Port Williams This bridge was built in 1835 and was in use until 1885 when it was replaced by a iron bridge.
This bridge was built by the local business community and was a toll bridge until it was sold to the crown for the sum of
800 pounds in 1856. It's length was 430 feet.

Bridgetown Covered Bridge 1907 This picture was submitted by James Custance

Bridgetown Covered Bridge This picture was submitted by James Custance

Lawrencetown Covered Bridge This picture was submitted by James Custance

The Bayer's Covered Bridge.
This bridge was located on the Musquodoboit River just below Rolling's Mill.
This picture was taken around 1909

There were a number of other Covered Bridges in Nova Scotia.
The following is a partial list provided to me by Blair Morrow.

Cocamagon River on Highway 215
Milford
St.Croix
Stewiacke
Farmington (Milmot Area)
Sanster (Windsor Forks) Avon River #2

Text provided by Steven White

It is ironic that the first covered bridge built in Nova Scotia was the last one left standing.
The bridge was built in 1873 and torn down in 1967.
A petition was put before the government in 1860 to build a bridge over the Kennetcook River. A bridge was required to allow materials, such as cordwood and logs, to get to the shipyards in Noel and Selma. The petitioners raised $250 and asked the government for an additional $400 to build the bridge. A contract was eventually awarded to Henry Ward, of Riverside, to build the bridge. Mr. Ward was very industrious man; he was a magistrate, a master carpenter, and the local undertaker as well.
Timber for the bridge was cut locally and whip sawed into planks. Whip sawing was done by putting the logs on a rack; a pit was dug below. With one man on top of the rack, and the other in the pit, the logs were then hand sawn into planks with a large handsaw. The man in the pit had to wear a veil to keep the sawdust off his face. The men who done the whip sawing for the bridge were George and William White. The iron work for the bridge was done by Albro Ettinger and William Barron. They were two local blacksmiths. The iron was brought in one inch bars and was forged into the proper shapes and sizes. The forge was fired by charcoal that was produced locally from green hardwood. A Hemlock bark fire was used as a welding fire. Both burned very hot. The lumber for the roof and sides was sawn at a mill owned by Daniel Blois. The mill had one up and down saw and was very slow. Rock for the foundation was brought in from a quarry near the Gore, about five miles away.
Wages for working on the bridge were about forty-five cents a day. Some work was statute labor, meaning each person was required to offer a certain amount of work to the government each year.
The bridge was built with a crown in the middle, in order to prevent sagging. There were supposedly two reasons for the roof and sides on the bridge. On reason was to make it look like a barn so that animals would not be hesitant to cross it. The other reason was to protect the flooring. Since the original floorboards were not replaced until 1944, seventy-one years after the bridge was built. The roof and sides worked well.
In the early years, the bridge was lighted with a Kerosene lantern; this was lit at dark and usually burned out around midnight. This led to several accidents; one story is of Alfred White and Henry Ward Jr. running together with their horses and buggies inside the bridge. Mr. White’s horse was killed and Mr. Ward’s badly injured. Neither man was hurt in the accident. Over the years, the bridge switched to electrical lighting.
In the mid 1960’s, due to the size of the bridge, a drive was put on to have it removed and a new on put in its place. A “Bailey Bridge” was built on the downriver side of the covered bridge. The covered bridge was then torn down and the present bridge was built in its place. Some effort was made to save the bridge but lack of land to move it to and a thirty thousand-dollar price tag for the job stopped the salvation project.

Links

Visit one of the most popular Covered Bridge sites on the web and the Number 1 Covered Bridge Site in Canada

The Covered Bridges of New Brunswick
Plus the Uncovered Bridges and the Covered Bridges that have been lost recently

The Old Railway Stations of Canada

The building trades class at Darlington HS in Darlington, Wisconsin built this covered bridge for a local business man

Hants County Cruisers Car Club
Antique Car Shows

Ed's Marble Etchings

New York State
Covered Bridge Society

New Brunswick's Covered Bridges
By George Cook

New Brunswick Covered Bridges
By Wayne Pond

Visit Lonnie Hedgepeth's
of Rocky Mount, North Carolina site.
He has used the plans provided on my web page on the Covered Bridges of NB and is building a Covered Bridge for his
Live Steam train.

Jerry Barnes' Garden Railway, The SCRR

Another Live Steam train bridge
being built using the my plans which are available on the NB Covered Bridge site

Lilies From the Valley
A Vast selection of Oriental and Asiatic previously cut commercially grown bulbs ready for shipment anywhere in Canada

A wee bit about us

If any one is interested in Microsoft's Flight Simulator I have written some scenery files for Summerville. Maitland, Windsor and Hantsport.
Summerville now has an Airport