Sanborn Covered Bridge
Lyndon, VT
WGN Number: 45-03-05
UPDATE: The Sanborn Covered Bridge was removed from the Passumpsic River on August 16, 2024.
The flooding during July 2024 put the bridge in danger of collapse. The bridge is now in pieces, awaiting the next phase of its renovation.
The removal was done by Vermont Heavy Timber of Huntington, Vermont. Follow the project progress in our News and Notes section of the website.
Photo by Jeanne Beaudry © August 16, 2024
The Sanborn Bridge was moved in 1960 from where it once crossed the Passumpsic River to Benjamin Sanborn's farm. In his book The Last of the Covered Bridge Builders, Milton S. Graton provides an account of the bridge moving process. (Graton, M. (1978) The Last of the Covered Bridge Builders. Plymouth, New Hampshire: Clifford-Nicol, Inc.)
This bridge is the last of the many Paddleford truss bridges that once crossed the stretch of river between Lyndon and St. Johnsbury. The others were destroyed by the 1927 flood.
In 2013, the bridge was in danger of collapsing into the Passumpsic River due to serious damage to the upstream upper and lower chords and an abutment. Funds for the stabilization of the bridge was obtained, and that work has been completed. Since the bridge is privately owned, no government funding is available for restoration. The bridge remains in its stabilized condition until funds are raised for restoration.
Our thanks to the Town of Lyndon and the Village of Lyndonville for allowing the posting of the Vermont Covered Bridge Society Welcome patch. For more information about the Lyndon area visit their website at www.lyndonvt.org.
Sanborn Covered Bridge Vital Statistics
| Town: | Lyndon |
| Location: | Intersection of Routes 5 and 114 - Privately owned |
| Crossing: | West Branch of the Passumpsic River |
| Date: | 1867(?) / 1873(?) |
| Builder: | Unknown |
| Truss Type: | Paddleford |
| Truss Length: | 118 feet |
| Other Names: | Centre |
| National Register of Historical Places Listing Date: | June 20, 1974 |
Additional Information:
Join Phill Gatenby as he takes us on a video tour of the Sanborn Covered Bridge in Lyndon. Phill provides interesting history and commentary for this bridge. Click on the YouTube image below to get started
You can also follow Phill on his Facebook group Vermont's 100 Covered Bridges
Credits: All pictures, information, and descriptions are taken from Spanning Time Vermont's Covered Bridges by Joseph C. Nelson ©1997 and the World Guide to Covered Bridges - 2009 unless otherwise specified.
