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Porter, Maine

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

Sight: #20

Location: Porter, Maine

• From town center, drive 0.2 miles west on Route-25.
• Turn left on Route-160, head due west for 0.3 miles.
• Covered bridge located due east of steel/concrete bridge that crosses the Ossipee River.

Hours: Open year-round, closed to traffic in 1960.

Admission: Free!

Link: Maine DOT Website

Rating:

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I have to admit, I haven't spent a whole lot of time wandering the floorboards of covered bridges in the past. However, the opportunity presented itself a few days ago when Bill and I drove by this covered bridge on our way to hiking Mount Chocorua. With piqued interest in hand, today I have returned to investigate this historical river crossing.

From atop a modern steel and concrete bridge that runs parallel, looking eastward I get a good "in-stream" view of the wooden bridge. Spanning 152 feet across the Ossipee River, the Porter-Parsonsfield Historical Bridge was built in 1876 and has stood the test of weather and time with the aid of restoration work performed in 1999.

Here are more pictures of the bridge from afar.