Ware-Hardwick Covered Bridge
Also known as: Gilbertville Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning the Ware River at Gilbertville, this covered wooden bridge connects Ware in Hampshire County with Hardwick in Worcester County. It is a Town lattice truss about 25 by 137 feet, built on the system Ithiel Town patented in 1820. A dense web of diagonal planks is pegged together with wooden treenails and later reinforced with iron rods, bolts and tie bars. The sides are clad in vertical planks with the upper trusses left open to admit light, and the shouldered portals are painted barn-red. The bridge is dated to 1886, a date supported by a photograph from 1885 showing the site without a span and an 1892 directory mentioning Bridge Street leading to the covered bridge. It was listed because it is one of only four 19th-century covered bridges still in their original Massachusetts locations, and because it remains a working example of a once-common but now rare engineering type. The village it serves was founded as a woolen mill community in 1860.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is one of only four 19th-century covered bridges still standing in their original Massachusetts locations. It embodies the Town lattice truss, patented by Ithiel Town in 1820, and shows the lasting appeal of that system in New England. It is also a still-functional example of a now-rare engineering type.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 86001006, listed May 8, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Old Gilbertville Rd. and Bridge St., Ware |
|---|---|
| County | Hampshire County |
| Listed | May 8, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001006 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Town lattice truss covered bridge |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as still functional; the siding was replaced in 1954 but some planks are missing, and the portals are disfigured with graffiti. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.31031, -72.21208 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 86001006.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7969321
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.