RonnieAdventure #0124 - New Hampshire, 2014 Part 1

The Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge spanning the Connecticut River is 449.5 feet long and connects Vermont to New Hampshire. After two pervious bridges were destroyed by floods, the current bridge was constructed in 1866 at a cost of $9,000. 

The Cornish-Windsor Covered bridge is the longest wooden covered bridge in the United States and the longest two-span covered bridge in the world. In 1989 the State reconstructed and reinforced the bridge at a cost of $4,550,000, so the bridge is now safe for vehicles weighing up to ten tons. 

Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site is managed by the U.S. National Park Service and contains over 100 pieces of Saint-Gauden’s sculptures in galleries, studios, and outdoor exhibit areas. Augustus Saint-Gaudens was one of America’s greatest sculptors (1848-1907) and his works are still regarded to be some of the best sculptures in the world. 

Site exhibits include public monuments, portrait reliefs, and coins. In 1904 President Roosevelt asked Saint-Gaudens to design three coins for the US Mint (a one-cent coin and 10-and-20 dollar gold pieces) and these three coins started a trend that forever changed the look of American coinage.

Dartmouth College is located in Hanover and was one of the nine colonial colleges founded before the American Revolution. Current enrollment is approximately 6,150, which makes Dartmouth the smallest university in the Ivy League.

In 1761 Colonial Governor Wentworth granted land along the Connecticut River to form a community called Tinkertown, but the community's name was later changed to Lyme, after Old Lyme in Connecticut. In the 1770s, the town petitioned to be part of Vermont, but the petition was unsuccessful because Lyme was located on the wrong side of the Connecticut River. 

Lyme was a stopping point along the "Old Boston Turnpike" that was heavily used by stagecoaches; so in 1809 the Lyme Inn was constructed to provide service for overnight guests. The Inn was recently renovated and is once again available for overnight accommodations.  

Across the street from the Lyme Inn is the 200-year-old Congregational Church, which contains a steeple bell cast by Paul Revere. Lyme contains numerous other historic buildings and the town is now home to many physicians and professors from Dartmouth college, which has resulted in very high real estate prices. 

One of the most interesting places to visit in the New London area is the Philbrick-Cricenti Bog. The bog was formed after the ice age when large chunks of glacial ice melted and subsequently left ponds of water in depressed areas. Over thousands of years peat moss progressively covered the ponds, thus creating the bogs. In many places the bog will not support the weight of a human, so board walks have been established throughout the area to create hiking trails. Due to the danger of falling off of the wooden walkway in a soft bog area, the trails are not recommended for anyone under the age of 12 years old.

Daniel Webster was one of America’s most respected orators and statesmen and his birthplace has now been preserved as a New Hampshire State Historic Site. You are allowed to walk around the grounds at any time; however, hours of operation when the buildings are open are very limited. 

The New Hampshire Capitol Building in Concord is the oldest State House in the United States in which the legislature still occupies its original chambers. The block-framed building was constructed in 1819 in the Greek Revival style using smooth granite blocks, which still appear to be in very good condition. A statue of Daniel Webster is located directly in front of the main Capitol entrance.