Shushan Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning the Batten Kill at the hamlet of Shushan, this covered bridge was built in 1858 by Milton Stevens. It uses the Town lattice truss, a design patented by Ithiel Town in 1820 and improved from 1831. The bridge has two continuous spans of about 80 feet each, 161 feet overall, with two lanes about 16 feet wide. Its structure is timber, with laminated plank top and bottom chords, 3x10 plank diagonals, 3x12 plank counters and vertical board siding. Concrete abutments and a steel and concrete center pier were added in 1974, and highway traffic was routed onto a bypass bridge in 1963. The bridge now houses a local history museum, open seasonally. It was listed as part of a group of covered bridges in Washington County, being one of only two Town truss bridges that survive there. The form also records an original sign warning of a five dollar fine for riding or driving faster than a walk.
Significance in brief: The inventory form describes it as one of only two Town truss bridges surviving in Washington County and a significant visual and historical element in its community. It is a Town lattice truss design, patented by Ithiel Town. The form is part of a group nomination of covered bridges in the county.
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 78003460, listed March 8, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Spans Batten Kill off NY 22, Shushan |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | March 8, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78003460 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architect / builder | Architect: Ithiel Town patent truss (1820, improved 1831-); Builder: Milton Stevens |
| Architectural style | Town lattice plank truss covered bridge |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Originally a highway bridge, now used as a local history museum with seasonal, regular hours. Highway traffic was bypassed in 1963, and concrete abutments and a steel and concrete center pier were added in 1974. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 43.09114, -73.34544 (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 78003460.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7505465
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.