Carleton Bridge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Carleton Bridge
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Nearest city	East Swanzey, New Hampshire
Coordinates	42°51′17″N 72°16′28″W / 42.85472°N 72.27444°W / 42.85472; -72.27444
Area	less than one acre
Architectural style	Queenpost Truss
NRHP reference No.	75000121[1]
Added to NRHP	June 10, 1975

The Carleton Bridge (or Carlton Bridge)^[a] is a historic wooden covered bridge that carries Carlton Road over the South Branch Ashuelot River in East Swanzey, New Hampshire. The bridge was built in 1869, and is the region's only surviving example of a 19th-century Queenspost truss bridge. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.^[1]

Description and history

The Carleton Bridge is located in central eastern Swanzey, in a rural setting on Carlton Road east of New Hampshire Route 32. Carlton Road is one of the main routes connecting Swanzey village with East Swanzey. The bridge is a single span 67 feet 3 inches (20.50 m) in length and 16 feet 6 inches (5.03 m) wide, resting on granite abutments. Its roadway is 12 feet 4 inches (3.76 m) wide, sufficient for one lane of traffic.^[2] Its exterior is sheathed in vertical board siding and is topped by a gabled roof. Its trusses have been reinforced with iron tie rods and other metal elements.^[3]

The bridge was built in 1869 on a site that is believed to have had a bridge since 1789.^[2] It is believed to be the only example of a Queenspost truss bridge in southern New Hampshire. This truss method is quite old, and is based on techniques used for building large structures such as churches and barns.^[3]