David Topham, Treasurer, Nov thru April only: 11707 Oakmont Ct., Fort Myers, FL 33908-2825 239-433-1551;
May thru Oct: 45 Village Way No. 50, Rockport, ME 04856-3805, 207-596-7472

October 17th NSPCB Annual Meeting at the French King Restaurant in Millers Falls, MA. See last page of newsletter for dinner reservation coupon and more information.

Dear Fellow Members, Greetings:

It is hard to believe, but it is again Fall. As I have remarked before, that is to say in several previous President's Messages, the older I get, the faster time seems to fly. The latter observation is hardly original with me, obviously; it is probably a part at least of what lies behind the old maxim, Tempus Fugit, time flies. Be that as it may, one thing is surely good about the arrival of autumn; namely, the fact that many of us shall soon be gathering for the Annual Meeting of the National Society.

The Annual Meeting of the National Society this year, as in many years past, will once again be held at the French King Restaurant.

Information as to how to get to the restaurant in question, and the cost of a meal there, et cetera, is to be found elsewhere in the present Newsletter.

The speaker for the occasion will be David C. Fischetti, P.E., of Cary, North Carolina. Amongst many other things, David Fischetti is the engineer who did a rather exceptional analysis of the Bath-Haverhill Covered Bridge, an analysis financed by our Society. As a result of this analysis, the precise nature and amplitude of the forces active within the trusses and upper and lower lateral bracing systems of the. Bath-Haverhill span under various loading conditions are now known. Knowledge of that sort is of course of paramount importance when one is attempting to work out an appropriate restoration scheme for a structure of such singular significance as the Bath-Haverhill Covered Bridge. In any case, at our Annual Meeting, David Fischetti will be talking about the various problems he regularly encounters during the course of his work overseeing the restoration of historic buildings and historic Covered Wooden Bridges.

In the hope, then, that I shall be greeting many of you at next month's Annual Meeting -- remember, this meeting is scheduled for the THIRD Sunday of October, the 17th in other words - - please be assured that I remain,

Yours most sincerely,

David W. Wright,
President, the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, Incorporated.

GET WELL SOON DICK!! One of the NSPCB Vice Presidents, Dick Roy has been ill. Fortunately he was only briefly hospitalized and is on the road to recovery. Dick and his wife June wish to thank everyone for all of the cards and get well wishes he has received.

The Pomeroy-Academia Bridge, built in 1902 by James N. Groninger, is a one-lane bridge with a double span, having an overall length of approximately 278 feet [portal to portal], and an overall width of almost 18 feet. The design was based on plans of Theodore Burr [1771-1822] who was the preeminent bridge architect and builder of his time. Burr developed an arch and truss design that was patented in 1804 that came to be known as the Burr truss.

This bridge has the distinction of being the longest remaining covered bridge in Pennsylvania and is listed on both the Pennsylvania Register of Historic Sites and Landmarks and the National Register of Historic Places.

In the summer of 1962 the bridge was still in use in the Pennsylvania Highway system but was slated for destruction after a new bridge crossing the Tuscarora Creek was completed. The Juniata County Historical Society stepped in and voted to assume responsibility for the bridge with the goal of having it restored. The contractor, not knowing of their plans began, at the end of August, to take the bridge down. The Historical Society acted quickly, with the help of the County Commissioners, and was able to get the work stopped for two days, enough time for the Society to deliver a signed statement to the Commissioners declaring their intentions to assume responsibility for the covered bridge.

This year the bridge marks 102 years of existence. Except for some general repairs on the roof and siding, repairs after weather damage, the re-pointing of the stone piers and the collars placed around the headwalls and the piers to stop water erosion, no other work has been completed. The fact that it is still standing after 102 years is a credit to the quality of Burr's design and the workmanship of the laborers who built it.

Viewed from afar, the bridge is picturesque though dilapidated and obviously in need of repairs. However, up close, if one looks carefully it is obvious that time and insects have ravaged it. The bridge has suffered extensive damage from termites and carpenter bees as well as general deterioration. Our engineers tell us that if we don't do major restoration work on the bridge now, sometime within the decade, its going to collapse into the Tuscarora Creek.

The engineering firm of P. Joseph Lehman of Holidaysburg, PA who have performed similar restoration work on some 10 historic covered bridges in P A has estimated the cost of restoration to be $1.4 million. The project will involve-disassembling, replacing all deteriorated members and reassembling the bridge. Restoration work will also be completed on the abutments and piers and concrete collars will be put in place to prevent further water erosion. A small pedestrian park will be placed on the Beale Township side of the Tuscarora Creek with benches and historical markers explaining the history of the Bridge and the nearby Beer's Mill.

In 2002 and 2003 the Historical Society's applied to the Federal Highway Administration's Covered Bridge Restoration Fund without success. Applications have also been made for TEA Enhancement funds at the local and state levels. In November of 2003, we received a Keystone Preservation Grant of $70,000 from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

To better position the bridge for future grant money the board of the society recently agreed to fund all pre-construction work estimated to be $175,000. The Historical Society has raised over $40,000 and can use 25% of the Keystone preservation grant for this purpose, thus allowing $57,500 to be utilized for the pre-construction surveys and permit work that must be completed. We are actively encouraging our state and federal elected officials to assist us with raising the pre- construction funds. Currently there is no Federal Transportation Bill in place but we are hopeful that Congress will pass a new bill sometime in 2005 that would have Covered Bridge Restoration Funds.

For any further information on the Pomeroy-Academia Bridge contact the Juniata County Historical Society at 717-436-5152 or by email at juncohis@tricountyi.net. We also have a web page at http://www.rootsweb.com/~pajchs/. Click on Historic Places to see other pictures of the bridge.

Essex County

Jay Covered Bridge - NY 32-16-01 -- Jim Ligon, Project Superintendent for Alpine Construction, LLC., reports some exciting news regarding the Jay Covered Bridge. As you can see by the photos, the bridge is looking very attractive these days. The roof has been completely covered with a rubber membrane, but the finished roof will be a lightweight aluminum shingle which is supposed to look like cedar shakes. The interior of the bridge has been treated with a fire retardant and bug spray to prevent insect infestation. The fire alarm system has recently been installed and stain applied to the siding. To obtain up-to-date information on the continued rehabilitation progress, be sure to visit: http://members.localnet.com/~jligon/Alpine/Jay

September 2000 - Photo by Trish Kane	September 2004 - Photo by Jim Ligon

Herkimer County

Salisbury Center Covered Bridge - NY 32-22-01 -- The rehabilitation work on the Salisbury Center Covered Bridge was completed in mid August. With $153,000 in federal funds the town was able to replace the structure's horizontal, diagonal and vertical beams and remove the deck to install stronger beams as well as I-beams to better accommodate vehicular traffic. The bridge also has a new steel sheathing roof. During the rehabilitation process they were also able to remove the sag in the floor which makes for seven to eight inches additional clearance. The bridge looks fantastic and was listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places on June 19, 1972. Special thanks to everyone involved in the rehabilitation of yet another of New York's historic landmarks.

Rensselaer/Washington Counties

Buskirk Covered Bridge - NY 32-42-02/58-04 -- The siding and roof are still absent from the Buskirk bridge and the top chords are being supported by scaffolding. These top chords will remain with some minor replacements. The new bottom chords are now in place. There has been a slight delay in the completion of the rehabilitation of this bridge. Upon closer inspection the iron rods between the top and bottom chords were found to be significantly deteriorated where they were hidden. More rods have to be replaced than originally thought and they are awaiting the delivery of these rods. Due to the delay, the reopening date is now scheduled for mid January. The construction company, Alpine Construction of Stillwater, NY is doing a fantastic job with this bridge. Thanks to Willy Grimmke, Superintendent of Public Works for Washington County for this update.

Other News:
Here are two additional websites you can bookmark under your favorites:
Oregon: http://www.oregon.com/covered_bridges/index.cfm
Virginia: http://hometown.aol.com/vabridgelady/myhomepage/photo.html

Outside New York: It is always exciting to see articles or events promoting our covered bridges. In the Travel section of the September 10th issue of USA Today there was a great article titled 10 Great Places to Cross That Covered Bridge. The 10 bridges mentioned were: Zumbrota in Minnesota, Bridgeton in Indiana, Philippi in West Virginia, Hogback in Iowa, Jordan in Oregon, Elizabethton in Tennessee, Oregon Creek in California, Langley in Michigan, Sunday River/Artist in Maine, and the Rexleigh in New York.

Watson Settlement Bridge. Photo by Kim McKee

Maine -- Watson Settlement CB -- ME-19-02-01 This bridge is currently undergoing some repairs. Kim McKee from Hagerstown, Maryland shares this July 2004 photo of the work to date. This bridge, built in 1911, is the farthest north and the youngest of Maine's original covered bridges. It has a Howe design and has two spans with a total length of 170 feet. In 1984 the bridge was closed to traffic when a new bridge was built.

This is the Annual Meeting and is being held on October 17th at the French King Restaurant on Route 2 in Millers Falls, MA. See dinner reservations and application below.

The French King Restaurant is located at the east end of the French King Bridge. The well known landmark carries Massachusetts Route 2 over the Connecticut River near Millers Falls, at a very picturesque spot. The dinner will be served at 12:00 noon and meeting will follow at 1 :00 P.M.

David C. Fischetti will be our speaker this year.

Cut off here or reproduce and send along with your check or money order.
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Dinner Reservation coupon for October 17,2004 annual meeting. To be returned with payment as designated below. Please return no later than October 10.2004.

_______ Whole Boneless Breast of Chicken with stuffing and gravy . . $18.95
_______Yankee Pot Roast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$18.95
_______ Baked Haddock au Gratin. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. $18.95
_______ Fisherman Casserole. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19.95
Name ___________________________________________________

Address _________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Telephone________________________________________________
Send to:
Carmela Sciandra, P.O. Box 398026, Cambridge, MA 02139

Make checks payable to N.S.P.C.B. Inc.