Covered Bridge History

Measuring 1282 feet, the Hartland Covered Bridge is the Longest Covered Bridge in the World - that’s longer than six NHL rinks combined!

In the 1860s, the Saint John River valley was extremely productive at producing hundreds of bushels of oats and buckwheat flour. Families settled along the riverbanks and the farmers would make their way to market by using the river. However, this was limited during the spring break up and winter freeze, spring floods, and summer shallow waters. Ferries, towboats and even steamers used the river only in ideal conditions.

Locals needed to buy and sell goods with those on the other side of the Saint John River, and to get their goods to market. The only other options were Woodstock and Florenceville, which in the late 1800’s meant long trips by horse and wagon.

This frustration started the movement in the 1870s for a steel bridge, until finally in 1890 a delegation of men representing both sides of the river went to the government with convincing arguments for the need of a bridge at Hartland. But they were denied. The government just built a steel bridge in Florenceville 12 miles up-river, so there was no money. The group did not give up. They formed the Hartland Bridge Company and sold bonds to raise funds to build a bridge. Charles McCormack, who was a bridge builder by trade, became the President and later the superintendent to oversee its construction. The total cost of construction was nearly $29,425. That would be just over $1 million in today’s dollars – still a bargain!

The bridge originally opened July 4, 1901 as an uncovered bridge. On April 6, 1920, river ice took out two spans of the bridge. Two years later in 1922, the government made major repairs and then covered the structure, making it look as we see it today.